


Full Steam Spacemachine

by Billywick, youngavengersbigbang



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-29 20:52:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Billywick/pseuds/Billywick, https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngavengersbigbang/pseuds/youngavengersbigbang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one ever said anything about boredom. No one ever wrote a dummies guide for the eternal, mind-obliterating boredom that came hand in hand with having lived as a superhero and returning to a normal life afterwards. With everything else, there'd been a guide. How to fight an army of Doom bots? Easy. How to stop an alien invasion? Been there, done that. Hell, the team had tangoed with foes the Avengers themselves had trouble with. Just look up Kang the Conqueror and you knew where you were at with the Young Avengers. Badasses in the making, saving and protecting Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maelikki](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Maelikki).



No one ever said anything about boredom. No one ever wrote a dummies guide for the eternal, mind-obliterating boredom that came hand in hand with having lived as a superhero and returning to a normal life afterwards. With everything else, there'd been a guide. How to fight an army of Doom bots? Easy. How to stop an alien invasion? Been there, done that. Hell, the team had tangoed with foes the Avengers themselves had trouble with. Just look up Kang the Conqueror and you knew where you were at with the Young Avengers. Badasses in the making, saving and protecting Earth.

At least, that's what they should have been doing. No one counted on... well what happened. No one ever considered how much they'd really be affected by something going so fatally wrong. And no, no one understood just how fragile the team really was after losing Cassie and Vision. The Avengers had lost companions, team mates and still carried on. That's what Tommy thought they would be doing. You didn't throw in the towel as soon as things got tough.

He hadn't been part of the team for long, barely knew Cassie and her robot...oh, sorry, synthezoid. And maybe that's why he didn't understand how everyone could just throw in the towel once they...perished. It's not what the Avengers would have done. It wasn't what heroes did, quitting like that, right? Wars aren't won with friendship. They required bravery and yes, sacrifice. Because the bad guys didn't stop so neither could they.

But it was not to be so. The team was finished, the remnants of the Young Avengers spread thinly across New York and beyond, each embroiled in their own specific set of worries in their little, insignificant lives.

Billy and Teddy remained at the Kaplan residence, at least, until his supposed twin brother snapped out of his lengthy moody stint with guilt. Eli completely disappeared off of the radar, but hey, that guy had just as much on his head as the foolhardy mage that instigated their mad chase for the Scarlet Witch.

And Kate? Well, she was doing her namesake proud, quite personally, since she'd basically 'set up shop' with the infamous Clint Barton. Kate was the only one who really did any hero-work anymore.

Which left him, Tommy Shepherd, more commonly known and referred to as Speed, where he was right now. Doing really nothing much at all.

The Kaplans had put him up, which was kind, but also annoying. They were a particular kind of wholesome family, one with which Tommy just couldn't fall into pace with. He didn't grow up with nice breakfasts and 'good morning did you sleep well' and family acceptance and movie nights. And as much as he appreciated the open arms, he didn't stick around. Better to pack up his tiny bag of belongings and go find his own luck. The world was his oyster, or more fitting, his tiny little racetrack. He figured someone who could lap the world in minutes would find some sort of job to afford himself a life he'd never given much thought to.

Fair enough, work was plentiful. Mindless work, delivery mostly. He did like running organs for transplants across the country, that at least held meaning. He was still a hero, just in a much less...glamorous fashion.

It was enough to get by on, anyway.

And enough to afford him dull days like these, when he strolled along Central Park with an awful/amazing NY hot dog in hand, contemplating just what he was going to do with his evening. Try out a new nightclub in Berlin? Maybe head over to Dubai or Tokyo? Surprisingly enough, there was little charm in his meandering freedom.

His phone was ringing. Funny how he never noticed when it was set to vibration. Shouldn't he be in tune with all manner of...nevermind. Tommy picked up after a glance down at the glowing display.

Billy? Low and behold, maybe the day would get interesting after all.

"Yo my brother from another mother, finally remembered I exist huh?"

The full mouth of hot dog lodged into his throat when Billy didn't greet him with reserved annoyance, but absolute panic and fear bundled into a shout of his name.

"TOMMY! They're taking him! They have him! I can't reach him, everything's burning!"

"Billy?! Billy calm the fuck down, what's going on? Who's got-"

"THEY HAVE TEDDY! They're taking him somewhere, I can't see!"

"Billy just fucking chill, where are you?! Stay put, I'll be there in a-"

His twin cut him off again, his voice raw and painful and utterly beside himself.

"I'm going after them!"

"Wait you fucking idiot! Tell me where you are!"

The line cut into static and Tommy looked up just in time to witness a flash of blue lightning span the sky above the Upper East Side. The unmistakable scent of ozone cut through the very air itself and Tommy felt the hairs on his nape rise. Billy's magic, no doubt.

He took off at a run that would make jet planes envious.

No one had responded just yet, no police, no capes, not even SHIELD. Then again, it only took him fractions of a second to reach the building. He could see smoke on some of the higher floors, suspiciously close to the apartment shared by his two idiot former teammates.

Tommy raced up the stairs, nothing but a white blur and gust of wind. Something had gone terribly wrong up there, he didn't need instinct to tell him that. Billy sounded as if he was being torn apart and the fact he hadn't even heard Teddy's voice or battle roars in the background only made the heavy feeling in his gut intensify.

There was no need to break down the door to the apartment. It was practically obliterated, a sad excuse of a wooden barrier hanging off of the hinges, a huge, blackened hole blasted through it. What the hell had happened here? Why hadn't Billy struck alarm earlier? What the fuck was going on?

The apartment was silent, destroyed and completely empty. Broken furniture, burn marks, scorched holes and...blood covered the walls and floors. And no sign of Billy or Teddy. Shit. This didn't look good at all.

Tommy was done with his search within seconds. He pushed aside the lingering bad feeling and dialled Kate's number. Whatever happened here, he wouldn't solve by running through the place. Billy must have teleported...and judging by the way the chairs and tables ended their existences as projectiles broken in a fight, Teddy must have put up one hell of a struggle to whoever was responsible for this.

Kate wasn't answering her phone. Typical. Probably out on Hawkeye business.

"Kate, when you get this, get your ass over to Billy and Teddy's. We've got a...situation here. A Young Avengers situation."

*

"There's nothing there."

That was not the line Tommy expected out of Iron Man's mouth. He glanced over to the gold and red form of the Avenger, threw in a glare for good measure, yet he received nothing but a sigh from Tony.

This was just great. The one time they actually went to the Avengers for help, all they got was a resounding 'nope'. What good were futuristic technology, all the superhero history of Earth and a few damn god-like mutants, when they couldn't even find out what the hell happened at the apartment?

"That's not good enough."

The words left his mouth faster than any semblance of brain to mouth filter Tommy might have could catch. It earned him a round of looks that ranged from pity to frustration. Damn them all. If it was two of their teammates, they'd be all over this, they'd spend every ounce of strength trying to track them down.

"We can't-"

"That's bullshit. There has to be something you can do. You're the Avengers, aren't you? Big damn heroes, can't find two freaking kids? What good are you?!"

"Tommy," Kate began, always diplomatic and conscious of the margin they tread with the adult superheroes, though she privately probably agreed with her enraged friend.

"Kid, I know you're upset but there is nothing there. Wiccan wiped any trace of what happened when he teleported wherever."

Tony Stark looked pretty run down these days, but it was no business of Tommy's. Nor was he any kind of concerned what impact this event had on them. He just wanted to know if his teammates were alright, alive even.

"Actually, I might be able to help."

A new voice interrupted, female, weary and careful. Tommy noticed the faint scent of wild roses and somehow, the colour scarlet.

"Wanda?"

Captain America turned to the new arrival, but the woman only gave him a gracious nod, her eyes fixed firmly to the distressed speedster, a tiny, perfect mirror copy of the one following at her heel. Quicksilver's expression spoke of endless irritation, but that wasn't new information. Pietro guarded his sister like a dragon and nothing in the universe would change that fact.

"Hello Thomas."

"It's Tommy."

There was little in his face that indicated any reaction to the woman Billy had wildly proclaimed to be their mother. He wasn't here to see her, and he didn't want her to be a mother to him. He didn't need it, or her.

Except for right now, when she somehow, miraculously ordained to be helpful to him.

"You can bring them back right? Just zap and they're here and we can all part ways as unlikely frenemies."

She shook her head, a move Tommy was starting to loathe with every fiber of his being.

"It's not that simple. If I could do that, you wouldn't be standing here having this conversation. I can't locate them, either of them. All I can offer is vague coordinates, but they're outside of the Milky Way."

"They're in space?" Tommy deadpanned. Solemn silence almost felt pregnant with the embarrassment that it would still be impossible for someone to just take the kids for a quick spin around the galaxy, even at this stage of the Avengers' and Earth's involvement with extraterrestrials. There were plenty that sought asylum on Earth after all, and yet, the exchange of technology that would boost even Tony Stark's tech library simply never occurred.

"These coordinates are useless to you. To all of us, even, unless I figure out how to get us there and back when we have time," Stark placed a small sliver of something that might have filled a room with wires in anyone's understanding of technology, but took no more than a thumbnail sized chip in Stark hands.

"So, you want us to do nothing?" Kate piped up as she mingled in the background, almost as if she wanted to blend into the decor of the tower. Like a clever, purple predatory insect or something. But whatever she planned was a mystery to the agitated speedster she used to call teammate.

Tommy didn't understand why the Avengers insisted on failing them every time they asked for help, but he swore to himself this was the absolute last time they'd try. Fuck the adults and their obstinate way of making crappy excuses.

"We will keep you posted on our progress..."

"Bullshit!" Tommy's stomp caused a minor explosion of the floor tiling, drawing the attention of the room. Speed had yet to be assessed for reliability, and a show of his molecular manipulation out of control due to incriminating emotional circumstances would not prove him any more trustworthy.

"You're benching us. Again. You don't get it, do you? Those are our friends out there, our people, our team! We have to go find them, Billy sounded as if someone was out to murder him and I for one don't leave kids hanging."

The vicious glare he inflicted upon every member of the Avengers was blistering, but it found a short-lived ending in Wanda Maximoff's equally green gaze. Tommy looked away quickly from her pseudo-motherly concern. He didn't have time to be babied by the Scarlet Witch, whom, as far as he figured, was still off of her rocks crazy.

"I'm sorry Speed. We won't change our minds about this."

"Whatever. I'm done with all this Avenger bullshit anyway."

Tommy didn't wait for a reply from the disappointed Cap. Billy and Teddy might have respect for the man for his reputation but to the speedster, he was little more than an unhelpful blond wrapped in an American flag.

The doors slammed with the satisfactory amount of noise as he walked (stormed) out of the mansion. At least that he could do. The thought of needing to rescue his twin soul brother and his idiotic boyfriend was still in front of his mind's eye, but the solution wasn't coming to him at all. Fuck. Being a hero should come with a manual. In fact, after this was over, he would sit down and write one, then get rich and retire to a grand villa to which he could bring a different girl every week and hire a chef and maids...

His fantasy didn't really want to launch itself fully, he was too aware of the problem at hand and after a moment, the footsteps behind him. Had to be Kate. No one else would bother to come after him.

"You really act like Quicksilver Junior some time, you know that right?"

"Whatever. Tell me you have some idea in that beautiful head of yours Katie, because I think I might just blow something up if you tell me I'm being a brat and we should stay put."

Hawkeye's legacy fell into step beside her speedy friend.

"You are being a brat, but you're also right. We have to do something. Which is why this," she opened her hand and sure enough, Stark's microchip rested snugly in her palm, "will come in handy."

"Did you actually just steal from Tony Stark in front of his eyes? Careful Kate, you're turning into a female me."

Tommy felt excitement mingle with hope and rise through his stomach and heart. They could just do this on their own. It didn't matter that there was only the two of them. More than enough to take on the universe, right?

"Okay, so we have the coordinates. Now we have to figure out how to get there."

Kate held up an admonishing finger. Clearly, she'd had time to put together a plan whilst Tommy threw his tantrum in the Avenger mansion.

"Not we, zippy. You. And I think I have a ride for you, too."

"Wait, what? Why only me?"

Another one of those Kate looks from behind her shades had Tommy almost regret the question.

"Because I have to handle this end. We've gone against the Avengers before, but this time, we're throwing it in their faces. Blatantly. No offense, zippy, but I need to hold the reins on this one. You have to go get our boys back and let me worry about the Avengers."

Tommy nodded, heart beginning to race with anticipation for the no doubt reckless plan that awaited his near future.

"And how am I supposed to get outside of the Milky Way? Can't run in space."

Kate's worry slipped into a grin as she sought out her phone and dialled a number with a knowing ember glimmering in her eye.

"I know a guy."


	2. Chapter 2

The barn should have been noticed by someone, surely. Somewhere way out in the countryside, lonely barns spewing light (make that weird green light) into the night should definitely be noticed. Maybe even by gun-toting hill-folk. Or maybe it was just his rampant imagination clamouring for such a cinematic turn of events.

Whoever this contact of Kate's was better be worth the trip. Not that it took Tommy long to get here, a sparse ten minutes had slipped by since he left New York. A moderate pace at best, since Kate warned him not to storm in on her 'spaceman'. Tommy didn't like sharing this business with a stranger, not at all. Teddy and Billy were their teammates, they should just handle it themselves. But the sobering revelation Wanda's divination had unveiled shot that idea down in a shameful blaze. Space wasn't exactly somewhere his legs carried him. They needed a ship or someone who could and would do long distance teleportation. He didn't have preference for either and just hoped for this spaceman's sake that he'd prove cooperative. Tommy was in no mood to negotiate.

Right. Time to shed some light (he gave himself a breathy chuckle at his own pun) on the situation.

The door of the barn wasn't locked and now that he stood in the immediate circle of illumination, which painted him a sickly green, he heard music. Nothing he recognized all too well, but it was rocky, had a heavy bass line and thumped through his bones. Well, whoever he was, he certainly had good taste in music.

Tommy pushed the door open with a flourish, stepping in with all the authority and confidence befitting his exalted stance as a badass super hero. And came to a halt two steps into the barn.

Now, normally, these kind of buildings were lined with things like farm tools, straw, cobwebs, the usual kind of rusty crap people didn't store anywhere in sight and liked to forget existed. If you were lucky, you'd find a gem of an old car buried beneath dust.

But there wasn't a speck of it in this barn. No, everywhere Tommy looked, metal, wires, cables and odd devices met his gaze. The whole place resembled a techno-nerd's wet dream. Monitors spewed miles of alien code (could have been an Earth language, not that Tommy would have recognized it) and suspended above the ground by apparently nothing at all, some sort of craft. Didn't look like a ship, more of a space boat, or better a space-dingy.

The source of the green light was a hovering claw above the vessel and the point of Tommy's interest the figure clambering from beneath the disappointingly small craft.

"You must be Kate's spaceman."

Didn't matter that he couldn't see a face yet, better to get straight to the point. But Tommy was denied his answer, instead treated to the sight of a broad, muscular body emerging from twisted metal. No human had musculature like that, powerful and yet sleek, running under skin like smooth hills interrupted by dips that begged to have fingers running over them, to trace their unknown scape or possibly to be painted by a fine brush and an artist not shy of falling in love with his subject. Lean hips ran up into a strapping torso, again, perfectly shaped in a completely inhuman manner. The shirt, thin, white, cotton, stretched desperately to cover what must be carved from marble. To make matters worse (or better depending on perspective) a thin sheen of perspiration turned bulky shoulders into sleek curves, smoothing along the continued hilly landscape of arms that might squeeze the breath and life out of bear. Tommy's eye clung to the small hollow between collarbone and neck, which curved up gracefully as if it knew its business was to hold his head so high it didn't remember what the ground looked like.

Tommy didn't know what was happening here, his brain uncertain of the stutter it was giving, the cogs of his busy mind finding a pause appropriate. It took him half a minute to manage a blink and his eyes dared give him a flicker of resistance at even that. Wrenching control over his weird short-circuited brain and sight, he returned to the man-creature-possibly-living-statue in front of him, this time with Tommy's absolute determination to keep his wits about him. Only to find his traitorous eyes sneak in protest and siphon his control and attention back to the view.

The strange body had built itself up into a person, a full head taller than Tommy, right in front of him. The arms ended in hands clad with some form of metallic gloves, the stupidly well-built chest curving into a strong neck carrying an angular face adorned with curious ice-blue eyes. A shock of oddly familiar, pale hair completed the stranger who eyed Tommy with...not quite disdain, but no notion of pleasure either.

"I'm not Kate Bishop's anything. You must be Tho-Mas Shepherd."

"I know your face."

"We have met. Briefly. My name is Noh-Varr."

"You're that fuck who...at the prison, right?"

"The Cube. Yes. Unfortunate incident that."

Out of all the space-faring residents of Earth, how had Kate managed to pick this guy up? And why did she call him? Endless questions churned Tommy's mind, but he had no time for them now. Remember those missing team-idiots? Yeah.

"I ain't here to talk about that. Past is the past or something. Kate called you right, you know why I'm here?"

The guy ran a hand through his hair after shedding his gloves (Tommy didn't hear a clatter, didn't know where he put them and didn't care) before answering to Tommy's question.

"Yes, she called me ten minutes ago. But I can't do anything for you."

Anger took the place of hesitant curiosity and Tommy's eyes remembered how to narrow and scowl.

"What? You saying I made the trip for nothing? I'm not asking for your opinion or shit, I just need a spaceship. That looks like one. A crappy, small one."

He gestured to the suspended vessel, no larger than a minivan.

"Look, guy, I don't care what Kate told you and I am not asking questions as to what you're doing out here in a barn. I just need that thing and a manual. I'll figure it out."

"My name is Noh-Varr. And it isn't that simple."

The guy (Noh-Varr, right) took a step towards his floating vessel and ran a hand over it like a human might pet a new car.

"This is nothing but a pod, a short range transport vessel. It won't take you where you need to go. Kate told me enough for that. But I didn't say I wouldn't help you further."

"Dude, Noh-Varr, I don't have all night, so if you've got something to say, spit it out right now. And don't think about wasting my time."

"Rude, but direct. I can appreciate that. I'll be brief; I can offer you a ship. One that will take you out to the Pama system. I need your help acquiring this vessel and then, I'll fly you there."

Tommy gave him a bug-eyed stare, trying to dissect marble with his mind. Coming up short, he folded his arms.

"Something tells me this acquiring business ain't gonna be a cakewalk."

"No, it won't be. The ship in question is being held by S.W.O.R.D. and strictly speaking, they won't hand it into my deserving possession. So we will liberate it."

"You mean steal."

Noh-Varr's lips curved into a maddening smirk which Tommy had no trouble imagining to be satisfying to punch.

"Yes."

"Alright. Let's do it. Let's steal a fucking spaceship."


	3. Chapter 3

The alarm bell was thundering through his head, fuelling the rapid pump of his heart to even greater speeds. The lights were dimmed, or maybe even off, it was difficult to tell with the pulsating red alert throwing everything into a dangerous and unsightly mixture of black and red.

With every shriek of the siren, the light pulsed and Tommy timed his assaults perfectly. He was nought but a blurred shadow to the ones he was attacking, a streak of lightning in the pitch black hangar.

They'd made it all the way here without detection. But that was the easy part. Getting into a place was never as tough as getting out.

The plan was still on track despite the hiss and boom of firearms. The agents or guards, whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. or S.W.O.R.D. had stationed here were using non-lethal rounds, something he didn't know whether to congratulate or berate them for. Maybe they already identified their intruders. There weren't many people on the planet who could vibrate through walls and even less interested in the wreckage of a Kree ship.

Tommy was the muscle here, or at least, he felt that way, zipping around, stripping away weapons and striking blows to fell the guards into unconsciousness where he could. Non-lethal force was the key for both sides. Almost as if they were all going through the motions of a well rehearsed play fight. Run, grab, destabilize, repeat. At least this was simple enough.

"Speed, Spaceman, we need to get this show on the road. This roof is crawling with unpleasantries. It's as if we're doing something illegal or something."

Kate's voice crackled through the earpiece and Tommy could hear the hard puff quality of her breaths despite the easy sass in her tone. She had her hands full and it was only a matter of time until the forces on the roof would overrun the archer. All part of the plan, or something.

Tommy couldn't help her though, his task was by far more important. He took down another three guards, but the holes in the ranks were quickly filled by new meat.

"You heard the boss lady, roach. Is this hunka junk gonna move?!"

A swell of Kree curses (Tommy couldn't tell but the tone of swearing was universal to all languages) answered his question and he took another circle around the large mass of metal they were trying to liberate.

"Well?!"

"Rushing me is not going to fire the Epiphany Engines any faster, you know."

"Don't matter. If you don't get this carcass moving we're pulling out and you can get your ass caught on your own."

"Glad to know how much you value this team effort."

"If you have time to sass me you better show me this bird can still fly." Tommy lost his focus on the voices in his ear, too distracted by the agents trying to make him fall or stop. Fat chance of that ever happening, they really had no idea who'd run into their little alien-ship-hiding facility.

Another muttering of curses crackled through the line filled with the static and noises of the fight outside, then Noh-Varr cut the transmission. Speed, Tommy, may be irritating as hell to deal with in a situation like this but he did have a point. Skilled fingers danced over unwilling buttons and Noh prayed to a non-existent deity that The Marvel would answer his summons. He was aboard of course, that had been the goal of the mission. Tommy got him in, then defended his position as Hawkeye drew the attention elsewhere for as long as she could to buy him time to get his old ship up and running.

"Not to disturb your delicate condition, but how are we doing bugboy?"

The guard line was thickening and Speed could no longer navigate his lightning assaults easily. He was being pushed back further and further, crowded against the bulk of the ship he was trying to keep clear of the underground base's personnel.

Noh-Varr ignored the blinking red lights on the screen to his right, the ones that indicated hostile projectile weapons trained on the ship.

"The auxiliary power system is failing to initialize and I have to reroute all manner of energy through the sub-atomic particle accelerators to stabilize the incendiary thrusters-"

"In English!"

Noh-Varr's lip curled into a sneer at the rude interruption, but he conceded to the necessary urgency of their situation.

"Get on board. We're leaving."

The Kree didn't have to say that twice. Tommy took one last look at the darkened hangar before he vibrated through the stout belly of the ship, arriving in an oddly illuminated passageway. The bridge shouldn't be hard to find, if the level of activity and sound had anything to do with it. Again, like cursing in a language, the feeling of a place 'where shit happens' was universal.

He made it to the bridge containing an agitated Kree and flurrying fingers in no time at all. Tommy didn't have time to be in awe of the technological miracles all around him, not with what the screens displayed. The huge hangar bay doors, sealed shut with the resolution of a mountain range. None shall pass had never looked so visually represented.

"Now what, roach?"

"We're leaving."

Noh-Varr responded far too calmly for Tommy's taste.

"Are you nuts? Those doors are closed, in case your insect eyes are failing you."

"Intruders aboard the Kree vessel! We have you surrounded and will use lethal force. You have no way out, surrender now and you will not be harmed!"

The guards outside must have finally been joined by their commanding officer because a small head had formed and the siren finally stopped blaring its jagged cry.

Silence filled the huge hangar all of a sudden but only for ten heartbeats.

The floor rumbled, the guards looked at each other bewildered before erupting into cries when the ship's thrusters fired like lava belched forth from a volcano.

Inside the ship, Tommy clung to the back of Noh's chair, eyes wide as the huge bulk of the ship began moving, lurching as it filled with power dormant for years.

"Doors are still closed and I could use a hand, spaceman."

Kate's voice now transmitted over the ship's internal com system and sounded a lot clearer. Also a lot more exhausted.

"Don't worry Hawkeye. We're coming."

Tommy only saw the Kree lean back as he pulled the controls into his lap, barely heard the edge of what must have been an alien plea.

And The Marvel raised her nose, up, up, as if she could smell the sky beyond her concrete and rock prison.

"Oh fuck me, are you doing what I think you're doing?"

He didn't get an answer, but Noh-Varr flicked a switch at the side and the nose of the ship was bathed in a red light filled with dark swirls, solidifying at first into a grid, then into a definite grill. Like armour or something.

"Kate hold on to your everything, we're coming up right beneath you!"

Kate took a breath as she paused on the edge of a roof. Her quiver was gaping empty, but that didn't mean she was out of ideas. But energy was rapidly becoming a rare valuable as she assessed her situation.

"You mind repeating that, zippy? What do you mean under me?"

He didn't have to answer her, because the world shivered around her as the ground lost all will to be a steady solid, collapsing in on itself. The archer clung to the roof, one hand sliding to her grappling hook as a red light shone beneath the fragments of the ground, before shaping up into something like a nose.

With a roar of earth, steel and concrete, The Marvel breached from the ground, majestic even in her faded glory. Around her, the wreckage of the path she'd ploughed for herself slipped off of the hull in massive chunks.

"Subtle."

Kate could not bite that back as she aimed for what she assumed to be the loading bay doors.

"You better not make me knock twice boys."

And just because Kate Bishop occasionally enjoyed savouring her victories, she turned to the few guards clinging to the roof behind her and saluted them before her grappling hook found a home in the hull of The Marvel and reeled her in.

Tommy had already been instructed to the nearest opening and helped pull the loosely swinging archer into the ship. The Marvel was still heading up as if she longed to see the stars as she was made to.

"That easily counts as one of the stupidest nights of my life. Including that one time I stole Clint's bow."

"Are you kidding? We made out that night, it was way better. Of course, we could revisit that, equalize the chances."

Kate gave a laugh as the doors sealed and they were safely aboard an alien spaceship.

"Not tonight zippy. All I want is a shower and waffles."


	4. Chapter 4

Kate Bishop was the kind of woman that got her wishes. Easily, most of the time.

And when a lady wants for waffles after a long night of slightly illegal activity involving a break-in, a stolen alien cruiser and inspiring the ire of just about every adult in the superhero community, then that lady gets her goddamn waffles. With extra whipped cream and syrup.

The diner wasn't particularly filled. Actually, they were probably the first actual customers (regulars who impersonated furniture not included) there. And what a motley crew they turned out to be.

Kate was possibly the only one who had in fact slept at all since the overly dramatic liberation of The Marvel. But that was because she had the human privilege of needing to rest, without the luxury of excessively regenerative stamina.

Noh-Varr had flown the damn thing all the way to his barn, where he and Tommy loaded everything into the bigger vessel. After that, it was only a matter of watching Noh fiddle with things until he grinned and the schooner regained its camouflage abilities.

In the early morning hours, the three were finally out of the ship and in the only place for miles that served anything remotely edible. They were really far outside of New York now, Tommy had no idea how many state lines they'd crossed.

Didn't matter.

The waffles were sweet and the coffee hot and no one cared about their odd attire or existence here. Perfect. A bunch of ragtag young heroes after a successful night of morally questionable activity. And boy didn't that just sound a lot worse than reality was.

"So."

"Yes?"

"We stole a spaceship."

"We returned to me what was mine to begin with. So it technically isn't stealing. S.W.O.R.D. stole from me. I took it back." "Whatever. What's the next step?"

Tommy couldn't really care less about the ramifications and specifics of the consequences, the point wasn't that they'd stolen the damn thing, but whether or not the Kree assessed his old ship capable of deep space flight.

"Waffles are the next step," Kate interjected as the elderly waitress served them stacks and stacks of sweet, sugary breakfast goodness.

Breakfast seemed an agreeable idea and there was an amiable silence as each of them tucked into their well-earned food. The Marvel was parked in a field, invisible to the human eye and most sensor ranges.

"So, our next step is getting into space after we create a diversion large enough for the guys up in that pretty station not to notice you guys slip out. Spaceman? Ideas?"

The Kree had said precious few words ever since giving the initial report of the ship's status. With the small pod intact, he'd been able to boost The Marvel and she would definitely make it into deep space, take them beyond the Milky Way. But not much further and that busied the Kree's brilliant mind plenty.

"You need to give me the coordinates you took from Stark, so I have some idea of where we're going, how I should arm my ship and what kind of supplies I need to pack."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Kate slid the tiny chip across the table. Noh took a moment to finish his stack of waffles (obscenely fast) before he snatched the chip and inserted it into the bolstered gauntlet on his left. He really needed to be more subtle about his alien technology out in public, but this wasn't the moment to tell him so.

"Hm...Interesting."

"Are you going to expand on that or is it going to be space babble?" Tommy grunted from across the table. Noh's second plate of waffles was inching suspiciously close to the speedster's side. Hey, a guy needed to eat after a big exciting mission.

Noh-Varr was so engrossed in his data that he didn't even react to the devilish theft of his breakfast.

"Well, it's strange how far out this place is. It's in this galaxy,"

Noh-Varr held up the screen for his two human companions to view, but the clumps of light that were stars meant little to Tommy. He'd never been a fan of astronomy.

"That's...definitely outside of the Milky Way. Which one is it? Andromeda?"

Tommy let his eyes wander over Kate. Was there anything this girl didn't know about?

"Yes. You classified it as M-31, or Andromeda. And it presents us with another questionable circumstance that has the potential to be a problem."

"One catastrophe at a time, spaceman. Our first priority is getting you and Tommy off Earth."

"Again, not sure why I have to go and you get to stay home." Tommy interjected with a dramatic wave of the last of Noh's waffles. He didn't have the audacity to touch Kate's food.

"Oh zippy. Just eat your waffles and let me do my thing."

"He does raise a point though, Kate. How are you going to distract S.W.O.R.D.?" Noh-Varr had time for a glare in Tommy's direction but was only offered a syrupy grin and an empty plate bereft of waffles. The Kree sighed and ignored the speedster's silent taunt.

"A girl has to keep some secrets," Kate flipped open her phone with a flourish. One day, Tommy would like to see just how many people with extraordinary lives were in that phonebook.

"Hey doll. Yeah, it's Kate. What? Of course not, you know me, I don't get into trouble, I just flirt with it, or put an arrow in its ass," she paused as the person on the other end clearly laughed. It sounded like a female voice, a little smoky and certainly enticing.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that. I was thinking of something I could use your help with. You free? Sweet. At my place, two hours tops. And dressed this time, you insatiable beast."

When Kate finished her phone call, she was met by two very curious gazes from her silver-haired duo.

"Okay you have got to introduce me to some of your friends some time Kate." Tommy's jaw remembered how to close as he leered at the phone.

"No I don't, zippy. A refined lady such as myself doesn't kiss and tell. Now, if you're all done, I have things to do. There's not gonna be time for goodbyes. Two hours and your bird has to fly, Noh-Varr."

The Kree nodded curtly, suddenly all business as he got to his feet and out of the booth. Tommy was not far behind, though he seemed a little less eager to spend time alone with the new addition to their circle.

"You take care of yourself, Tommy. And Noh-Varr too. He's a big boy, he can handle himself, but it's just you two out there. Try not to kill each other, and bring back our boys. Watch your asses. I won't be there to keep an eye on you."

Though Kate's voice was clipped and almost sharp, there was something beyond calculating manner behind her eyes. Tommy only got a glimpse of it, since she embraced him in a swift and tight hug.

"You come back, zippy. Don't make me go after you."

"Maybe that's what I'm aiming for, Hawkeye. Would be nice to be the one chased once in a while."

"In your dreams."

Tommy wrapped his arms around the girl, pressing her against him for the briefest moments. He didn't do hugs, but for Kate, he'd make an exception.

It was a short-lived bit of sweetness, as both of them stepped away from each other and Kate put a hand on Noh's arm. The Kree had been standing by awkwardly during their exchange, but he looked expectantly at the archer now.

"You too, spaceman. Look out for him, watch your back. Don't go chasing alien tail too much, don't get into trouble you can't handle."

"Your concern is quite unnecessary, Kate Bishop. I have been to space. I know what I am dealing with."

"You've never been to space with Tommy, though. Just. Bring him back in one piece, okay?"

"I swear it."

"Good man. Okay, enough mush. Call me if you can. I'm out."

And she really meant it, because in a small flurry of purple and silken black hair, Kate took her leave.

Tommy watched until she was out of sight, then turned to Noh-Varr. He was really going to do this. Alone. Well with this guy, but still alone.

"Race to your junk boat?"

"Call it that one more time and you can walk to Andromeda."

*

"She's a genius!"

The ship's system's were sounding off warnings and readings all around him. Tommy was kind of glad he couldn't understand a damn thing, because they were probably real bad news.

So, this was his life right now. Clinging to the armrests of his seat, strapped in like some sort of kid in the back of a car with a crazy alien at the wheel. Helm. Ship lingo, right?

"She's at best, a madwoman."

Noh-Varr had time for snark amidst his crazy driving, apparently. Tommy could see a snippet of Earth's glorious blue and green just beyond the Kree and he kind of held his breath. Earth was always just the place he lived, it was so very different seeing it from out here. He never appreciated living on this particular planet, but that's because he'd never been anywhere else.

Well he was certainly going there now.

The Marvel was weaving in and out of space debris (probably human) whilst trying to avoid alerting the huge station floating on the outer edge of orbit. S.W.O.R.D. really had a sweet view from up here.

And hopefully, that view wouldn't include the slightly dilapidated Kree schooner sneaking by.

"Once we reach Mars, we can hit hyperdrive."

"That's, uh, great and all, but what's hyperdrive?"

Noh-Varr took a moment to roll the ship past something that kind of looked like a mine before he granted an answer.

"Moving at a much faster pace. Speed of light, as you would call it."

"Shit. That almost sounds cool. Didn't know your boat could do that."

At that comment, Noh threw him a glance and Tommy could swear there were actual sparkles in the Kree's eyes.

"She can do so much more."

"Core sufficiently powered for hyperdrive jump, Noh-Varr. Standing by for launch sequence."

The voice was new, sort of horribly mechanic and it boomed above the flickering alarm sounds on the bridge. Tommy made the mistake of turning around to view the source and he nearly jumped out of his chair. Good thing he was strapped in otherwise he might have vibrated into space.

"What the hell is that?! Decapitated baby head in a tube!?"

"That is Plex."

"What the fuck is a Plex?!"

The alarms stopped and the ship ceased rocking, levelling out into a flight so smooth you might think you weren't moving at all. Noh-Varr undid the straps and swivelled around in his chair, admiring the green monstrosity like one might a baby cousin or nephew.

"To be precise, it's Plex 2.0. This ship used to be equipped with an extra-dimensional intelligence."

"I hate to be the human here, but what does that mean?" Tommy couldn't quite tear his eyes from the floating thing, it had tubes or tentacles on its head and glowing, yellow eyes.

"It is...like a very contained, small version of the Supreme Intelligence. But this one lacks the Plex minds. It's a reconstruction I've been developing. Like an artificial intelligence to help me maintain the ship's systems and navigate. It also offers tactical knowledge and scientific analysis."

Noh-Varr actually sounded proud, which was weird because it was still a damn floating head.

"So it's like your Co-pilot and computer. Alright. But why does it have to be a green head?"

"I like it. Feels familiar. I used to do all the necessary maintenance on Plex when this ship...was still under the command of Captain Glory."

"Captain who?"

Noh-Varr looked away from Plex and turned back to his controls. Mars was coming up on the screen and the Kree's expression was...even more stone-like than Tommy's seen before. So that was probably a no-go subject, huh? Good to know the Kree had those too.

"My captain. Who died when we crashed on Earth. Hyperdrive in fifteen seconds, Plex."

"Acknowledged."


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh you have got to be shitting me."

Tommy put his hand on the glass, as if trying to grasp at the planet below. Here he was, having gone to sleep among the stars, and now he woke up to this amazing sight. The planet beneath the ship was aglow with a soft, purple light and covered with fluffy blue clouds. It looked like a Hawkeye dreamworld, certainly. Maybe he ought to take some pictures for Kate. Then again, he really doubted even Kate Bishop could receive texts from outer space.

The speedy mutant wrestled himself out of the blankets pooling over his waist and legs and went through his morning routine in under a minute. So far, the journey through space had been almost dull, the initial race to leave Earth without detection in a big ass Kree ship not included. That had been exciting.

He vaguely remembered Noh-Varr babbling something about parts for The Marvel they would need for the whole trip, but they'd also been passing by Saturn at the time and Tommy was distracted by the first view of the solar system in his life. Besides, it wasn't like he was any kind of interested in techno-babble and engineering doo-hickeys, his name wasn't Tony Stark last time he checked.

Tommy was along for the ride and a big dramatic rescue mission, the rest was up to his Kree companion.

Speaking of which, Noh was awake, of course, sitting at the pilot console (at least that's sort of what it looked like, if sci-fi movies were anything to go by) and tapping away at something that could be a starmap. It had shiny points of lights and thin, connecting lines, so that was all the input Tommy needed. His interest waned quickly as per usual and he slumped himself into the vacant captain's chair. He should have brought a yellow shirt and indulged in that secret, nerdy side of him that spent hours with Star Trek. If Billy knew, he might blow a gasket.

"So, analysis, mister Spock."

Noh-Varr turned to him with an incredulous look that almost had Tommy believe the Kree actually got the reference. Did he ever even see Earth sci-fi? He probably watched it like comedies...wouldn't surprise Tommy in the least. From what he'd experienced, Noh was full of sarcasm, a stick up his ass and just a bit of violent humour.

"If that's your way of asking where we are and what we're doing here, you might want some translator microbes."

"...Are you kidding? Is that a joke? I know that's from Farscape, Billy made me sit through like three seasons of it."

Noh-Varr's expression relaxed a little and he looked pretty human again. Like that, he almost gave off the impression of being a fun, companionable guy.

"There's four seasons of it. And I'm not kidding, it's standard equipment on a diplomatic vessel for the off-chance of an encounter with a language not recorded in Plex' database."

Aaand the impression was gone. It was like every time Noh-Varr opened his mouth, Tommy remembered why no one liked Kree. Arrogant jerks up their own rear so far their noses were coming back out of their mouth.

Alright, that was a little morbid, especially before breakfast. Which his stomach reminded him fervently of not having received yet.

"Speaking of your floaty green head, does he make pancakes? Or waffles? Because this guy right here needs something to munch as you fiddle with your space-boat. And hey, you still haven't told me where we are."

"Do you ever formulate your sentences before they leave your mouth or do you just think and speak with absolutely no restraint?"

"Buddy I asked you a question."

"Fine. Even though I already told you, twice. This is Hellar. It's a class C-"

"The point. Get to it, it's screaming your name."

"...We're here to pick up a piece of the engine I built to replace the broken Epiphany drive III. You know, to make the ship fly places where you want to go?"

"Are you mocking me right now? God, I can't stomach you without food in the morning. And afternoon. And evening. French toast?"

Noh-Varr turned back to his console and waved in direction of the hallway to the mess and kitchen.

"Plex is not a servant. There are ingredients. Make your own food."

"What, no cool machine that phases my every desire into life? Colour me disappointed, spaceman."

"Noh-Varr."

"Whatever."

Nothing stood in the way of Tommy and his breakfast for a good couple of hours and boy, did he enjoy his love affair with Noh's kitchen. He was by no means a tragedy at the hearth, but Kree technology seemed intent on letting everything be made quickly, perfectly, and without wasting a single component.

Noh-Varr walked into the place in full gear, donning black and green and white and doing a fine impression of a space-roach. Including the helmet with the creepy bug eye-visor.

"Going somewhere?" Tommy asked as he blazed over the last remains of coffee he'd been nursing for a good ten minutes.

"We are, yes. To the planet surface, in the shuttle. Plex will keep her in orbit."

"Wait, why do we both have to go?"

"Because I would prefer not to deal with the locals without back-up. They tend to be very distrustful of Kree. But we need their business."

"I like them already."

Tommy earned himself an eyeroll of epic proportions and a green packet tossed his way. It was soft and pliant, yet didn't feel like any fabric he'd ever known.

"Did you get me a present?"

"It's a suit. You're going to need it. Hellar's atmosphere is toxic to both of us."

Tommy busied himself unfolding the dark green square and was pleased to find the suit looked exactly like his Speed outfit. Only with some technical gizmo around his neck and ear.

"Uhm, I think you forgot the helmet there, spaceboy."

"Did I?"

Noh-Varr's grin was beyond shit-eating and considering he really was a space cockroach, that wasn't saying much. Something told Tommy that he'd probably just fallen into a sneaky Kree trap that served to humble humans and exalt stupid alien egos.

"Fine, I'll put it on. Don't think you're getting a show though."

"It never crossed my mind to ask."

"Good."

There should have been a scathing something added to that, but Tommy decided, for once in his life, that he'd already won the theoretical argument and could now rest on his laurels.

Also he had a suit to try on. And as much as he would lament the fact some lame space roach designed it, it actually fit him rather well. Heavier than his Speed outfit and fitted with pockets of what he could only assume to be tech that was somehow important.

Toxic atmosphere, that's what the roach said, right? So he should definitely have a helmet.

Tommy used the nearest monitor as a mirror. He really looked damn good in anything. A cluster of buttons by his neck caught his attention. The suit didn't come with instructions, time to do it the old-fashioned way. He smashed a couple of the inviting little things and was rewarded with immediate action. Something buzzed, then moved. It felt like tiny, cold insect legs scrabbling over his neck, but he didn't have time to squirm because something was growing, for lack of a better word, up to his face. His fingers could feel fine plating piecing itself together all the way up behind his ear, then his vision was orange.

Numbers, readings of some sort ran across his sight. It was some kind of visor, the same shade of orange as his goggles. Lame or not, Noh-Varr had decent taste.

The readings were transparent enough for him to find his way back to the bay in which Noh-Varr stood and awaited his fully dressed self.

"So. Do I get a helmet now?"

"You're already wearing it." Noh didn't even turn around to face him, instead standing by the manual controls for the shuttle.

"Genius, this visor is cool and all but it won't help me breathe. I like breathing."

"And you're guaranteed to continue doing so, I promise. Now get on the shuttle."

Minutes later, they launched from The Marvel towards the Hawkeye-planet. Descending through the translucent, blue clouds, Tommy could see continents, lights blazing and tower-like structures. He was getting kinda excited, but hell if Noh was going to hear about it.

Strapped into the seat besides the Kree, Tommy tried not to look too interested in the strange new world he was about to step foot on. Actually, he might even be the first human to do so.

"Approaching landing zone. Warning. Hostile party has locked weapon systems onto shuttle."

"Well doesn't that sound inviting. What are you planning? They don't sound like they're gonna be in the mood for business."

"Let that be my concern. Come here."

Tommy turned his head, backing away from Noh-Varr's outstretched hand that nearly touched his jaw.

"Woah, buddy, watch the grabby hands."

Noh-Varr rolled his eyes.

"I need to adjust your suit, idiot."

"Why didn't you just say so? Communication really isn't your strong- hey!"

Another eye-roll and Noh-Varr tugged his head closer. It made for an awkward leaning position, one the speedster was seconds from recoiling out of violently. The Kree had ahold of him, one hand wrapped around his neck way too intimately.

"Look I am not gonna make out with you I don't swing that way."

"Would you be quiet for half a minute? There."

Noh's finger must have hit some sort of sequence into the buttons at Tommy's neck, because the suit was buzzing again. The Kree removed his hands and something like a bubble formed over Tommy's head, settling over his mouth and nose. He could breathe just fine and the air had a bit of a minty flavour to it.

"That's my helmet? I gotta tell you this fills me with all sorts of 'dying instantly' vibes."

"It's a filtration system."

"How come you get the whole bughead shebang and I get this flimsy face mask?"

The Kree's sigh was so audible it echoed around the shuttle.

"Because the atmosphere is toxic to my skin, not yours. Only your lungs. Hence. Face-mask. It'll show the Hellarians that you're not Kree. Which should inspire them to consider you for trade."

"Right. For the parts your junk boat needs."

Noh-Varr bristled and Tommy could just imagine the glare he was getting.

"The Marvel is far superior to any vessel you've ever been aboard."

"Alright, no need to get touchy. Geez. I thought Kree weren't emotional beings."

"We're not."

"Looks like it from here."

"Enough. We've landed. Time to disembark."

One of these days, their conversation would end in a punching match. And when that day came, Tommy would take great pleasure in bringing the high and mighty Kree to his knees. Maybe Tommy could punch him so hard he'd dislodge that tree trunk up Noh's ass. Ah, dreams were a wonderful thing.

Right. New world to explore right in front of him. Tommy decided not to say anything corny like his twin would have done as he stepped off the shuttle's ramp in front of Noh-Varr. The sky was an odd shade here, purple and blue and a little too dim to be called pretty. The visible twin moons were a cool sight though.

The sightseeing however, would have to wait. Because as the two of them stood side by side, the welcoming party was approaching. With raised, spear-like weapons that probably had something to do with lazers.

And what a welcome party it was! Tommy ascertained all of them female and a very pleasant shade of lilac. All of them were adorned in leather and armour, patches of the lovely lilac visible on various areas of the body.

"You didn't tell me we were going to a planet of purple spacebabes. This trip just improved 110%."

Tommy's whisper was ignored, but his lingering gaze was not. The tallest, probably the leader judging by the extra-large weapon, glared in his direction. Tommy countered with a smirk. Best to show off his good side, right? Even if these women towered over him a good head and half.

"Identify yourself and your purpose here."

Her voice was dark and really kind of beautiful, in that whole dominating tall woman way. Tommy could imagine all sorts of things he'd like her to say to him in that voice.

The way she pointed her lazer stick at him though had him rein in his raging libido.

"I'm Tommy. Hey. How you doin'? I came here to do some business with you. This, err, is my assistant."

The woman bared her teeth, looking a little less enticing and a lot more ready to tear out their throats.

"He is Kree!"

"Yeah, sorry about that. He's just my underling, don't worry, I got him on a leash. Now, tell me what to call you?"

The woman sized him up, Tommy hoping his balls wouldn't go seeking the safety of shrivelling up under that intense gaze.

"Captain Avlak."

"And your first name?"

"Captain."

"Captain's your first name?"

"It will be the last name you hear if you keep this up."

Tommy lifted his hands as a show of surrender, but he couldn't deny this planet had him intrigued. Feisty space babes were so up his alley.

"I come in peace. Seriously. Just looking for some parts for my ship."

He could practically feel Noh-Varr glaring holes into him through that helmet.

"Your ship?"

"Yeah. It's in orbit. Might look a bit Kree, but it's mine. I'm uh, Captain Tommy Shepherd. Nice to meet you, Captain Avlak."

The lilac Hellarian didn't look any more pleased, but at least she reached for something besides her weapon. It was a small, beeping device. She pointed it in Noh's direction, and the beeps grew shrill. That noise alone told Tommy all he needed to know about the general dislike for Kree here.

Avlak pointed the device at him, but the beeps remained steady. Huh. Had they ever met a human before?

"What are you, captain Shepherd?"

"Human. Hi. So, uh, business?"

"...We shall consider it. What do you have to trade?"

That threw Tommy for a loop. He didn't know he would have to lead negotiations, hell, he didn't even know what they had on board to trade. Did Hellarians take intergalactic credit cards?

"We have a disseminating iridium hyperdrive core." Noh-Varr finally spoke, after watching Tommy flail like a hooked fish on a line for a full minute.

"Kree built?" Avlak turned to Noh-Varr now, not exactly losing that hostile glare.

"Yes."

"Interesting. You will stay here. Under guard. I will contact matriarch Bashika. If you so much as think about stepping foot beyond your shuttle, you will be shot."

"Aye aye, madame hotpants."

Tommy's mock salute kind of faded in the glory of captain Avlak's sneer. Okay, maybe he was coming on too strong here. Diplomacy was never his thing, but if he took a cue from Noh-Varr's exasperated facial expression, he was pushing all the wrong buttons.

As soon as the Hellarian delegation disappeared into the distance, Tommy smirked at the Kree.

"She definitely likes me more than you."

"Is that so, captain Shepherd?" Noh-Varr's voice could have sharpened knives right now, but Tommy only saw opportunity to get underneath that tough skin. It wasn't exactly as if Noh had made himself vulnerable to Tommy's taunts and sarcastic genius missiles so far.

"Yeah. This deal is gonna be sweet as hell. They'll take whatever junk you offered and I might even get laid."

Noh's eye twitched. This was getting to be fun. Like a cherry on top of this great purple adventure. But the Kree didn't offer another remark for Tommy to shoot down wittily, instead he drew a syringe. The speedster took an involuntary step back.

"Woah, no need to get all jealous, roach-boy. Don't be hating on me because I have all the moves."

Noh-Varr rolled his eyes and made a grab for Tommy's arm, but the mutant's reflexes outmatched even his.

"And with the grabby hands again! Dude!"

"Translator microbes for Hellarian. I doubt the Matriarch will force herself to speak anything else."

"You made that up! They're not even real...you fucking cooked some up, I should have known...Does it have to be a shot?"

"Would you prefer a kiss?"

Tommy's eyes bulged out to give him the striking features of a bullfrog.

"Excuse me? Not from you, man."

"Then give me your arm and quit whining like a toddler."

"Any kid would cry if they had to look at you."

"Your sulking won't be acknowledged either. First rule of child-rearing."

"I am not your damn-Jesus FUCK! That hurt!"

It really didn't, and it was over in an instant, but Tommy decided to punish his Kree companion with a sullen look and tense silence anyway.

The delegation didn't return until nightfall, by which time Tommy's mood had soured considerably thanks to the antisocial manner of Noh's waiting. Silently, as if he was perfectly happy ignoring Tommy's bullet glances of pure ire.

Thankfully, the returning ensemble provided a much needed change of scenery. Sullen, ignorant Kree was replaced with only slightly hostile, all in all pleasing-to-the-eye Hellarians. One of them took the front center position and the way the guards clustered to her, it was clearly the matriarch.

"Try to show restraint. And respect. I won't be taking a bullet for you, captain Shepherd."

Noh's tone suggested he'd like to see Tommy take one in the face regardless.

Tommy faced the leader with confidence shining from him in form of a smile leaning towards a smirk.

He only got a slightly elongated, raised eyebrow.

"You are the human captain wanting to make a trade?"

"Yes ma'am matriarch."

Tommy kind of got the stern-old-lady vibe from her, so he pulled out all the stops that worked on humans. A cocky, vibrant young man usually did well with them if he played his cards right. On Earth, at least.

"What do you seek to gain?"

"Uh..." Tommy turned to Noh-Varr. At least the sullen Kree was pragmatic enough not to leave him hanging.

"A hellarian subterfuge generator."

The matriarch raised a brow, then gestured for Tommy to step beyond the invisible line they'd been forbidden to cross.

"A tall order. But I suppose we can make an exception for beings in such dire need."

"Call me ungrateful, but what makes you think we're in dire anything?" Tommy assumed that since she seemed willing to make the trade, he could start the haggling. Step one, make your trade partner believe you're doing them a favour. Step two, downplay the quality of what you want.

"The fact that you came here in a Kree vessel is proof enough," the matriarch gave Tommy another appraising look. This was going great so far, Noh was a paranoid idiot if he thought Tommy couldn't handle this himself.

"Not you, Kree. You stay right here. I will not have you besmirch our soil with your presence any more than you already have."

Noh-Varr had been about to follow Tommy, but his step faltered at the harsh reprimanding. Worry was clear as day on his face, and for good reason. Tommy had no idea how to assess the technology they needed, nor was he familiar with Hellarian culture or diplomatic behaviour. In other words, from the Kree's perspective, a disaster waiting to unfold.

"Yeah, be a good Kree dog and guard the shuttle. Your captain will handle this."

"That's what I'm..." Noh trailed off into silence, retreating back to their vessel and giving Tommy a look that, if he was telepathic, would have given him a list of instructions thicker than an encyclopedia.

Tommy shrugged off the Kree's unnecessary concern. He'd show Noh just what he could do. He wasn't just a kid from Earth after all. He was Tommy fucking Shepherd and versed in the trade of getting what he wanted.

Some of the guards took the machine Noh carried by himself and the delegation moved away from the landing pad. It wasn't a long walk to one of the impressive structures the purple aliens called home. Or at least, Tommy assumed them to be.

He was lead into a massive dwelling, the main body of which squatted at the end of an impressive courtyard, surrounded by four towers. Towers with immense guns mounted at every level. Okay. So they were trigger happy purple alien ladies. Good to know. Best behaviour would surely get him so many brownie points no one would think to use those bfgs.

The inside of the place fell short of his expectations though. He kind of wanted to see pompous alien decor, not functional furniture and more uniforms with mournfully little skin. Damn. So far, the alien babe theory was losing credibility. But Tommy could be a patient man when he had to be. After the deal was done, maybe they could disperse this whole business front and go to the party in the back. Assuming there was a party, but that was the kind of critical thinking that formed sticks in posteriors, namely in Kree.

"Here is what you want. Feel free to inspect it. Since you have a Kree in your crew, I assume you know how to identify worthy craftsmanship. I dare you to find fault within our engineering."

The matriarch's words kind of passed him by unnoticed, because right now, he was presented with a whole new challenge that had woefully little to do with parties and skin.

A massive block of wires and panels sat in front of him on a gleaming, metal table. What was it supposed to be again? A...subterfuge something?

Tommy had to answer or at least stall. The matriarch as well as all of her attentive guards were watching him with something akin to cruel satisfaction. They were judging his expertise, or rather, the lack thereof.

Puffing out his chest, Tommy took a few deliberate steps to circle the table. His gaze wandered critically over the...thing. It didn't matter that he had no idea what he was looking at. Only his company had to believe he knew what he was doing.

After two circlings, he stopped and laid a hand on a panel that looked harmless enough. As he pressed it lightly, it slid back, revealed a row of gleaming crystals. Probably the power core, and definitely purple like the rest of this world. He had a feeling he'd hate or love the colour after they were done on this planet.

"Well, I've seen better. But everything seems to be in working order."

There was a pregnant sort of silence on the other side of the room. No one said anything, but the surprise and doubt was palpable. Okay. No need to panic. He just had to throw another couple of confidence logs onto the fire. And stop making terrible metaphors in situations that could easily turn treacherous.

He leaned an arm on top of the device, patting the casing with casual ease.

"I mean, it's kind of low-end, but fixable. I'm really shooting myself in the foot here, making a trade for this. Compared to what I've got it's a bit outrageous."

"...Captain Shepherd."

"Yes ma'am matriarch lady?"

"That is only the storage container."

He could have kicked himself to the moon and back. Shit! Now he just looked like an idiot and Noh was going to laugh his ass off and this deal was probably turning to absolute crap right now and he was never gonna-okay. Stop. Rewind. Study the expressions, read the mood, fix the shit he just fucked up.

"Of course. But you know, you can tell a lot about quality by just observing the way its been stored. This is a sound container, very sturdy, very good."

Now that he looked closer, he noticed the latches and handles. He found the opening and a sort of hatch hissed and opened. With a small puff of cold steam, the true device came into sight. It looked like a semi-transparent, blue square. Almost as flat as a cigarette pack and not much bigger.

Tommy nodded and resealed the package.

"Yeah. Like I said. Looks good. I'll take it. So, do we just spit and shake hands, everybody happy?"

The Hellarians watched him as if he was a dog ordering a drink at a bar. Or maybe just a very confusing alien child trying to garner their attention.

"The trade will be made. We are satisfied with your offer. Was there anything else you wanted from us?"

The matriarch seemed a lot more relaxed now. Possibly because she had a complete picture of Tommy now. She could judge him, paint herself a portrait of inexperience. She probably thought he was easy prey, and or a sucker.

Maybe she wasn't completely wrong, but hell, acknowledging that wouldn't happen whilst Tommy's heart pumped blood through his body.

"Actually, I'm totally fascinated by your world. See, I've never been here before-"

"Naturally, or we'd have record of you. I see where you are going with this. Let me invite you to dine here and if you'd like, perform an important, hellarian social tradition so that you may have a thorough experience of Hellar. Besides our excellent mastery of engineering spacecraft parts."

Tommy never heard someone describe an invitation to a party with so many words, but he was definitely, 150% up for it. Business done, the fun was about to begin. And best of all, no Noh-Varr around to spoil anything.

"Ma'am matriarch lady, that sounds like a great plan."

"You wish to contact your crew?"

"Nah, he's fine waiting in silence. He's Kree. He'd only kill the mood."

* Hellar was famous (among galactic circles) for its spectacular sunsets, especially if accompanied by the locally favoured beverage of Baklar.

Unfortunately, Noh-Varr had no eye for the sunset or the purple lights filling the night sky and certainly no tongue for Baklar.

Tommy had been gone entirely too long for comfort. For the most part, the Kree had stood right here, staring at nothing and retreating to the depths of his mind. It was a good place to be, but after four hours, a small contingent of guards arrived to disturb him.

It was, low and behold, the delivery of the subterfuge generator he wanted. Was Tommy actually successful? It barely seemed possible.

"...Where is my captain?" he questioned the nearest guard, who gave him a disdainful smile. Nothing good could come of that, when even the lowest rank soldier was informed.

"Your captain, Kree, has decided to accept the matriarch's gracious invitation."

"Invitation to what?"

The snarl curling Noh's lips was enough to send hellarian hands to their weapons. Not yet trained on the threat, but clearly very able to execute a kill shot or two.

"To become accustomed to Hellarian culture."

"...He accepted S'hnuh S'Nuh?"

"Yes."

"That fucking idiot!"

Noh-Varr grabbed the crate the hellarians had brought and hauled it aboard the shuttle. Keeping himself still wasn't something that usually troubled him, but in light of the new information, it was a gargantuan task. He couldn't rouse the suspicions of the retreating guards, but he also needed to hurry.

Only a human would be foolish enough to accept an invitation from a species they didn't have the first clue about. Only Tommy would be enticed by 'enlightening' himself to Hellarian customs.

Every minute mattered now, so as soon as the guards disappeared into the distant complex, Noh fired up the shuttle, the new part, designated for the Marvel, temporarily hooked up to the smaller vessel.

It worked quite beautifully. Of course, the Hellarians had traded fine engineering work, it was against their cultural pride to let any of their second-rate work represent them beyond their world. That pride was going to bite them on the posterior today.

The complex was huge, well armed and probably partially underground too. Noh-Varr settled in his chair, keying in the sequence to find Tommy's suit's signal. A very useful little detail he never overlooked paid off as he found his foolish companion. And not underground. Good.

Now, there were two ways he could handle this. Land the hidden shuttle, infiltrate and carefully extract. Or, he could blast himself right to the core of the building, grab Tommy and then hope to Hala that his shuttle could outrun those guns.

Timing was key and he simply didn't have the time to scout the place and learn the layout.

"Alright. The path of glorious destruction it is. Plex?"

"Commanding officer Noh-Varr."

"Barn swallow in a hundert Earth seconds. Shields to max, AA defense cannons calibrated."

"Affirmative. Commanding officer Noh-Varr?"

"Yes?"

"This is not a logically sound strategy."

"This isn't a logically sound human. Just be ready."

The AI didn't have anything else to add and went silent, even over the weak omniwave-like telepathic ability it possessed.

Noh could concentrate. He had to do this right, or the mission they'd set out from Earth with could be over within the next minutes. And how shameful would that be, struck out of existence on Hellar whilst trying to barter for parts to get them to Andromeda.

The shuttle shook and trembled as Noh forced it through the thick roof of the building. It would only take seconds for the Hellarians to realize what was happening and start shooting, so he moved quickly. Luckily, it was a hall he'd plunged into. And Tommy wasn't hard to spot. He'd been positioned on some sort of reclining enclave of massive, black rock. It looked a little too much like an altar for his immediate comfort. Curious though, how still Tommy was. He didn't even lift his head...

Noh-Varr heard the fire before he felt it, shooting past his arm, maybe even taking a nice slice of him with it. The pain would have to wait for later. He put his superior genetic engineering to use and white-ran across the hall, grabbing Tommy from the polished, obsidian surface and as a matter of safety, carried him in his arms. Normally, Tommy would get the same kind of respect as a sack of grain, but with the dangerous crossfire flying every which way in the hall, the risk of the speedster catching a bullet or laser was too high. Noh could survive such a thing, so it was only pragmatic to shield his human companion with his body.

Technically, white-running should give him an infinite advantage, because if the enemy couldn't track you, they couldn't hit you. But apparently, breaking into a high status complex uninvited was considered rude and slightly aggressive.

Still, he brought them back to the shuttle in an oddly silent moment. He slammed the door shut behind him, letting Tommy collapse into the chair ungracefully as he peered out. The Hellarians were backing away from the shuttle.

"Harh, hey!?! Nooohrrrh-Vahh, whatcha doin' here? You messed up the party, go away bug! Shoo."

Tommy, or at least, the tiny coherent part of Tommy, was swatting at Noh's bleeding arm with little to no access to reality. It seemed Tommy's tongue and stomach didn't appreciate the local cult beverage either.

So he had an incoherent, definitely inebriated speedster to worry about, what looked to be the entire city's guard on the ground and very large weapons locking onto his dainty little shuttle.

Really, his day couldn't get any better than this, even if it tried. Noh-Varr did always claim to thrive on adversity. Here was his chance to prove himself more than empty words.

Again, timing was the key. He could already see the Marvel charging to their rescue, atmosphere burning around her nose as she swept down to reclaim her crew.

The tension drained out of Noh-Varr's body the second he saw the weapons of his ship fully extended and very much locked onto the towers. Custom to Kree diplomacy, the Marvel fired a warning shot that nearly took out an entire tower. Kree warnings tended to get right down to the point.

He hadn't even realized he'd been so stiff, so anxious. Maybe it had just been too long since Noh-Varr felt the thrill and danger of 'regular' space travel, with all its standoffs and shady trades and examples of ridiculously overwhelming firepower. He definitely had missed it. Whatever kept him chained on Earth was finally severed, with the taste of true freedom filtering through the helmet of his suit. Which he could finally remove once the shuttle had been swallowed by the Marvel in one fell swoop.

With an elegant roll, the schooner disappeared back through the hazing, purple atmosphere of Hellar. Noh would be perfectly happy to turn his back on this world once and for all.

Not everyone was of that opinion though.

Tommy had taken only thirty minutes in the infirmary to come back to, fully coherent and fully furious. Also strangely enough, fully erect, but Noh had the tact not to say anything about that.

"You are the absolute worst cockblock in the universe. Seriously, dude, I was about to score big time, like, epic proportions! And then you just had to crash your dumb ship through the dumb roof with your dumb self and grab me. I was about. to. get. laid."

Even the sharp punctuation didn't make Tommy any more threatening. To Noh, he had this distinctively harmless anger about him. Not the uncontrolled rage that shattered molecules. This was something close to a late teenage temper tantrum.

"Laid down, yes you were. Laid as in about to embark on a session of sexual intercourse? Unlikely. Do you even know what you accepted so freely, Tommy?"

"It was a social tradition, man, how bad could it be?"

"Depends, how much do you value your testicles?"

That drained the blood out of Tommy's face fast. Whiter than a dwarf, he stared at Noh-Varr.

"...Are you saying they were gonna cut them off?! Why would they do that?! I need them!"

"You agreed to it."

"How is castration a social tradition?!"

"The Hellarian males used to be hyper-aggressive. For about four millennia, they violently suppressed the female population, much like your recent Earth history," Noh held up a hand as Tommy drew breath to argue the definition of recent, "Anyway, to make thousands of years of history short, the female population had enough of that and established itself as dominant. A consequence of this was developing a completely new way to secure reproduction without any male life form necessary at all. Any male now living in their society is neutered in case he forget his place."

Tommy winced and no longer seemed to be having a boner problem.

"That sounds brutally misogynistic. And horrible."

Noh-Varr shrugged.

"It proved effective. Hellarian culture and technology has evolved magnificently since the takeover, from what before was a world divided by territorial wars and power moguls."

Tommy fell quiet as he watched purple fall away behind them. He was never going to look at Kate in quite the same way again. Or at anything purple.

"...So..thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

Of course Noh-Varr had to ask. Of course he'd make Tommy repeat himself. God, that guy got on his nerves. But maybe, he kind of needed someone to get under his skin and yet pull him out of shit. It was at least a good base for a space adventure. Someone at his back.

"Thanks for saving my balls."

"Your balls, and the rest of you, are welcome."

Noh-Varr smiled to himself. Maybe not all memories of Hellar would be bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

There was absolutely nothing better than a jagged beat pulsing so loudly you lost most of your hearing capability to its thunderous command.

And if there was one thing Tommy would praise about Noh-Varr's ship, it would be the sound system and acoustics. Yeah, not the first thing you'd look for on an alien cruiser, but absolutely vital to Tommy's murder of boredom.

The sound of what Billy used to describe as 'robot sex music' (normal people called it dubstep) belted from the unseen speakers usually reserved for relaying commands to the now non-existent crew of the ship.

Tommy claimed the mess as his preferred room to be, mainly because it was in direct contact with that amazing kitchen and never-empty fridge.

Because what else was a guy supposed to do in outer space on a ship he didn't know how to fly? Noh-Varr had gone on some errand to the space-station they were currently sort of orbiting. Or hanging out in front of, Tommy didn't really get down with the proper terminology. All he knew was that the roach had looked worried before he took the shuttle. Something about the inhabitants of the shady looking, silver pine-cone (seriously it looked like one!) being untrustworthy and prone to killing the crew and taking the ship.

So it kind of suited Tommy perfectly well to stay put, eat all the food he could manage and blast his music through the entire place. Noh could handle himself, he was pretty damn sure of that. After the whole business on Hellar, Tommy had to say if there was one thing about Noh-Varr he could trust, it was his impetuous drive to survive. And hey, keep his allies alive too, which was well appreciated. Not in words of course, but the speedy mutant had allowed his companion a peaceful day filled with only a minimum amount of complaints about his boredom.

Because as exciting as seeing (more) aliens was, flying on a boat was kind of dull. Not as dull as hanging out on Earth, but space could only offer some sights worth seeing. But aside from that? Hanging around, killing the hours with eating and pestering the pilot and his weird, green navigator was pretty much the only thing Tommy could do.

Speaking of Plex, it was probably time to try feeding him again. Noh had given him this ridiculous look the last time he caught Tommy throwing crumbs into the tank, but that wouldn't stop him. Oh no, he had plans on seeing the little green head eat, because what else would he have a mouth for? He and Noh always communicated via that weird wave thing anyway.

Tommy's mind was made up faster than you could fathom the idea and with a chunk of bread (or constituted bread-like substance), he made his way to the bridge.

It was quiet here, apart from his thunderous racket. With the roach gone, everything looked kind of dormant, like the whole ship was missing its core. Tommy brushed the sudden lonely thought aside. He wasn't lonely, even if he was floating somewhere in space on a ship he couldn't fly and if he died here, no one would ever find him...

Fuck that. Noh-Varr would be back lickety split and they'd be on their merry way. Until then, he would try and catch Plex in the act.

"Shepherd, Thomas. Emergency protocol activated. Omniwave link has been severed. Assuming control and overriding orbiting command. Prepare for hyperjump."

"Woah, woah floating baby head hold on a damn second I didn't touch anything what the hell are you talking abou-what do you mean wave link severed?!"

Tommy grasped at the glass as if he could force the extradimensional intelligence within to answer him. Plex' eyes (creepy, pupilless) were glowing, but the usual yellow had turned into a kind of nauseating orange. No matter. Tommy stared hard, this thing always submitted to Noh-Varr's will, so why not his?

"Emergency protocol has been engaged-"

"I heard you the first time. Now put it into English. What happened? Why are you freaking out?"

"Incapable of such an action. This unit is responding to the parameters set by commanding officer Noh-Varr."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to be touchy. What happened to Noh-Varr? Why are you high-tailin' it out of here without him? That the sort of thing you do?"

Plex paused, face contorting as it consulted with its data-banks. To Tommy, the floating head looked kind of stumped. He folded his arms, throwing a glance out of the window at the station. Did it look a lot more prickly than the last time he saw it?

"Link has been severed. Commanding officer presumed incapacitated. Escape protocol has been initiated for the protection of Shepherd, Thomas."

"For me. Are you shitting me? Noh told you to get me out of here and leave him behind?! He's in trouble, we gotta do something!"

Another pause. Apparently, Tommy didn't just know how to throw humans off their guard. Worked on alien gizmo too, what a talent he had there.

"Specify something."

"Well," Tommy had to think of something, apparently Plex wasn't ready to assume any kind of command intelligent enough to save its crew. It was up to him. Well he'd been wondering how interesting he could make his day.

"Doesn't this thing have guns? You know, blast the place a little, demand the roach back, leave before they can bite us on the ass?"

"Calculating success rate of direct attack...negative. Ratio of successful execution less than optimal. Space station 496-sector Gamma fortified against such attacks."

"Jeez, you're so optimistic, it's contagious."

"None of my sensors detect infection of any kind, Shepherd, Thomas."

Alright this damn head was going to give his an ache. He had to come up with some kind of plan. Now, if he could, a quick run would solve all of his problems. But he was in outer fucking space. No running here. Now he had to think of a strategy devoid of his strengths.

Unless...Tommy stared out at the pine cone. It had not produced any visible weapons or targeted The Marvel. They must have overwhelmed Noh-Varr and wanted to keep the ship intact. To appropriate, no doubt. They probably didn't even suspect anyone was left on board.

Alright, two options then. Wait for them to come onto the schooner and kick their asses when they tried to take their boat, or door number two, which involved docking the ship, going in like the fucking rage of god and getting the roach out of whatever sticky mess he'd gotten himself into. And knowing Noh's combat ability, that shit was not going to be easy.

No more time for thinking. They...he, Tommy, had to do this fast. Just as he liked it.

"Alright, my green floaty head guy, I have a plan. It's gonna take balls of steel though."

"...Parameters of suggested plan?"

"That's the spirit. Okay, you have got to park this boat so I can get onto that station. I zip in, kick ass and take names. And the roach too. Then we can make that speedy exit you seem so keen on. Solid plan or what?"

Plex didn't seem convinced and looked as critical as any creature with a blob-like facial structure could. But there was no vehement denial of the possibility of Tommy's plan working.

"I can override the station's internal security for an approximate time of three minutes. Will that be sufficient?"

"You do know my name is Speed for a reason, right? That's like hours for me. I can do it. Get us docked and I'll be ready."

"Understood. Proceed to loading bay and brace for impact."

"Impact?"

"The station has not extended its docking bay. I will make a new one."

"I'm starting to like you, Plex."

"Thank you, Shepherd Thomas."

"Call me Tommy, floaty head. Alright. Let's do this. Noh is gonna owe me space tacos for this."

Space tacos would have to wait until he actually made it through the rapidly planned mission in one piece though.

He made it down to the loading bay in his suit, the one Noh had given him for Hellar, though he didn't need the helmet this time. Noh-Varr hadn't taken one.

As he stood there waiting, watching some stats flit over the inside of the transparent orange visor, Tommy grew tense. Every muscle in his body was ready for some big time heroism, but his mind was starting to catch up to the reckless plan. There'd be guns, knives, weapons of all sorts if these people were as bad as Noh had made them sound. And they certainly wouldn't be asking him to leave nicely.

But it wasn't the thought of his own safety that had the mutant clench his fists and test the dexterity of his limbs. This wasn't an exercise. If he fucked this up, Noh-Varr could be dead. They would both be, because he doubted he'd manage to find his way home even if he could talk Plex into not flying straight into Kree territory.

No. Focus on the mission. Finding Noh-Varr had the first priority. With his speed, it shouldn't pose much of a problem. Unless they had alien gizmos over there to trip a speedster, which he doubted. But anything was possible out here. He'd learned that lesson with the sexy yet deadly and very unwelcoming female inhabitants of Hellar. If they made it through this, he was so changing their species name to Hellions.

Focus. Noh-Varr. Right. If the roach was awake, he'd be helpful. If he was locked up, Tommy would find a way to bust him out. If he was unconscious, that would complicate things. The damn Kree was heavy, as Tommy knew from the few sparring sessions Noh insisted on. Too heavy to carry, which made it all more complicated.

God, he hoped Noh-Varr was conscious. Alive and only a little banged up. Tommy held fast to the notion that his own survival depended on the Kree's health and that was his primary concern. Nothing else.

"Impact in 3, 2, 1...."

Plex' announcement was entirely superfluous as Tommy nearly went flying off of his feet. The entire ship rocked and groaned its protest at the less than optimal encounter with the pinecone station.

"If Noh gets his panties in a bunch about scratches on his boat, I'm gonna squash his relatives."

"Equalizing pressure and establishing a containment field. Disembark now, Shepherd Thomas. Three minutes begin...now."

Tommy didn't have the time to admire the fact that nothing but a bubble separated him from endless darkness, feet hitting the pine-cone station at a run. And what a run it was.

If he never appreciated his ability to process information at a pace suitable to his accelerated lifestyle, he certainly did right now. In mere seconds, he could map out the station, took down three hostiles and worked his way to the core. More hostile, roach-napping space pirates blocked his path. But they didn't know what was coming for them. Tommy grabbed guns and other weapons from their hands, vaporized them before their former owners even mustered the breath for an alarming shout and then he was on them. He didn't kill, that message still stuck with him hard, but he took them down. Even aliens passed out if you smashed their heads fast and hard enough.

Tommy's rampage ended in a glass cube, illuminated in vibrant blue, clinically sterile and horribly familiar looking. Didn't matter where you drifted in the universe, a scientific research lab had that cloying, clinging scent of misery and cold dissection around it.

He had to swallow down bile, this kind of place triggered things in his head he didn't have time to mull over right now or ever. Tommy vibrated through the glass and inspected the oddly coffin-shaped crates. His heart was pounding its own ragged rhythm in his ears, he could hear his blood rush through him.

"Please don't be dead. Come on roach, you can't be dead, I'll kick your ass all the way back to Earth if you.."

He opened the last crate, cracked the side of it, and found what he was looking for. Noh-Varr didn't look peaceful and asleep, he looked...Tommy tried to breathe through the painful pounding in his head.

"Don't be dead, come on, wake up!" a slap rang out, but Noh's face didn't change. Why were his eyes not opening?! He better not be pulling some kind of incredibly sick-humoured joke right now.

"Fuck. Fuck!" Tommy could hear shouting and running. They must have followed his trail of downed attackers right here. This was bad. He couldn't defend well in such a small place. Time was of the essence. He didn't have a choice.

Tommy pulled and heaved, but it was a struggle to just get the Kree out of the crate. Dear fuck, why did he have to be so heavy? It was impossible to heft him onto the speedster's back. Besides, he'd be so severely slowed that the pirates (or whatever they were, he really couldn't care lesS) would make an easy kill out of them both. Assuming Noh wasn't dead already.

The Kree's body flopped to the floor, Tommy not possessing the strength to do more than drag him. And it was starting to get to him. Suppressing the fear chewing at his mind was getting harder and harder. Tommy hunkered down next to Noh-Varr, trying to feel for a pulse, breath, any sign of life at all. Crap. He really knew nothing about Kree anatomy, did they have normal bits, organs? Double crap. He didn't have any sound knowledge of CPR anyway.

"I thought you could survive anything. This is really pathetic man, so wake the fuck up. I can't die somewhere in space cow country! I'm too pretty for space hillbillies, so come on Noh!"

Was he shouting? He could barely hear over the alarm his every nerve was firing at him.

"Please, fuck, I'm...I'm begging here. I need you...I need you so wake up. God damn it!"

His fist came down hard enough on Noh's chest to make something crack and Tommy froze in horrified fascination as the Kree gave a wretched cough and his eyes fluttered open. Hazed, disorientated, but alive.

"You rotten son of a cockroach, it's about time. Get your ass in gear! We gotta go." Tommy threw another look over his shoulder, the voices and stomping feet were closer. They'd have to save the heartwarming reunion for later.

"Fast."

"Right."

Noh-Varr didn't have time to question what in the Accuser's name Tommy was doing here or why he was on the floor with the faintest of violins in his ear, informing him something was broken. At least, it wasn't any bone in his legs, which he gathered beneath him quickly to spring up.

"I take it you had a look on your run around the place?"

"Naturally. Way out is exactly through those bozos yelling their heads off. You good to go? I've got an exit strategy."

Noh's smirk was reassuring as hell. At least whatever they'd done to him wasn't leaving any lingering effects.

"You have a strategy? This, I have to see."

"Glad to know your sense of being obnoxious is okay. Now. Follow very closely. Keep up with me, as best you can. I'm not saving your ass twice in one day, there ain't enough space tacos in the universe to pay for that."

"Space...tacos?"

"No time. Later. Gotta go."

He took off at a speed he might have jogged through New York with on a sunny afternoon, but despite his words, he needed to be sure that his Kree companion would keep pace.

Getting out proved to be a lot harder than getting in. It was almost as if the space pirates were cranky someone invaded their pine-cone. But with Noh-Varr back on his feet, there wasn't a whole lot they could do about stopping them. Tommy could concentrate on disarming whilst the roach cleaned up, showcasing some of that combat training and experience he was always ready to talk about.

Not a whole lot of talking happened right now though, between crushing pirate dreams and windpipes and slowly making their way to the gaping hole in the space-station.

Still, these aliens had no idea what they were messing with when they fucked with Tommy Shepherd. Now they did, as they lay on the floor, bleeding, most unconscious, some most certainly dead (courtesy of aggressive alien insect life) and could only watch as Tommy and Noh-Varr hustled back through the bubble into The Marvel.

"Yo baby head, time to go!"

"Acknowledged. Disengaging immediately. Welcome back, commanding officer Noh-Varr."

The Kree didn't give an answer, preferring to collapse to the floor in a heap of tired muscle and strained bones.

Tommy crouched down beside his head, put two fingers to his neck. This time, there was definitely a pulse. So the roach wasn't all okay after all. Still, for a delirious effort, he'd done pretty damn well.

"That's what you get for trying to be as badass as me, roach. Come on. Let's get you to the infirmary. I warn you though, I am not playing sexy nurse."

He earned himself a gruff sort of grunt, which he supposed was Noh's attempt at a laugh. This time at least, he didn't have to heave the Kree all by himself. Noh-Varr leaned heavily on him though and Tommy pushed aside the glee of having managed an entirely daring rescue. Not bad for a boring day among the stars. Not bad at all.


	7. Chapter 7

"You...you're gonna come out of this right?" Tommy could only stand and watch as Noh-Varr struggled from the door to the single bed of the infirmary. It was a slow, painful progress, even though the speedster wasn't the one with the injuries. He couldn't keep his eyes from them. He knew Noh was a fast healer, but even he couldn't ignore the pain those cuts and burns must be giving him.

No, he couldn't. But he was a stubborn ass, if nothing else. Tommy might even admire that about the damn alien who finally reached the bed and promptly collapsed into it like a dying dog.

Tommy couldn't remember moving, but he was beside the bed, hands hovering over the Kree who was now struggling for breath. Slowly, panic was seeping through the speedster's gut. He could handle a fight and getting hurt, hell, probably even as badly as Noh-Varr was, but when that situation was outside of his person, happening to someone else?

"Noh? Noh! Don't pass out on me roach. Tell me what to do! What do you need?"

Noh-Varr made a noise, but between his coughs and rattling breath, Tommy couldn't hear. He bent down.

"What?!"

"Quiet."

His mouth agape for just a moment, Tommy pulled back, suddenly in the mood to ignore the panic clawing at his insides and let this idiot suffer. He was only trying to help, and then there was this asshole!

Whatever punishment Tommy would have liked to inflict on Noh-Varr found itself dispersed in the thin spray of blood that accompanied the Kree's next cough. The speedster was right back at that bed, fingers tight on Noh's arm.

"Seriously! What's wrong with you?! Why aren't you healing?"

Noh-Varr opened his eyes again, the pain in them was almost contagious. Still, he opened his mouth, took a gurgling breath and forced himself to speak.

"Tazarian bacterial infection."

"That's great and tells me nothing. Did those guys have this shit on them? Is that what they pumped you with? Please tell me it's like a real bad cold or something."

Of course he didn't get the answer he was looking for, because Noh shook his head, slowly, deliberately, eyes clinging to Tommy as if he could convey everything the speedster desperately needed to know by thought alone.

"Fatal to Kree."

Fatal. God damn it, out of all the weird trash Noh-Varr could eat, he had to find the one space station with the one bacteria that would kill him in all of the universe. Tommy's fingers tightened on Noh's arm, then grasped at his hand. His skin was clammy, cold and pale. This wasn't good, not at all. This damn infirmary should have some kind of shit to treat this with, right?

"Tell me what you need to cure this. Come on roach, you always know everything, out with it."

Tommy's fingers felt the squeeze of Noh's hand, but it was so weak. It almost made him nauseous to know how quickly his companion was fading.

"Plex. Up."

"PLEX. UP!"

Tommy's volume seemed to inspire urgency even in the artificial intelligence. Plex arrived in a flurry of bubbles, the uncomfortable yellow of his eyes flickering as he assessed the situation.

"Commanding officer Noh-Varr is in need of urgent medical attention, Shepherd Thomas."

"Tell me something I don't know! What do I do?!"

Tommy was close to making something explode. Noh-Varr was dying right under his hands and nothing in his stupidly advanced ship was offering him any advice. This was bad. Not only would he be stuck somewhere out in space on a ship he barely understood, but he'd be alone. Noh-Varr couldn't die. He was so ridiculously invulnerable in every situation, it was difficult to believe this was really happening.

"Administer adrenaline shot immediately. Scanning procedure initialized. Assessing..."

Tommy found the adrenaline at least. It was stocked in syringes that looked entirely too human and familiar, which for once was a good thing. Tommy certainly knew what to do with these. Plucking one, he did the best he could, whatever he remembered from first aid and movies and aimed it for Noh's heart. He plunged the syringe in, probably much harder than necessary since he heard something crack, but Kree were so tough he had no idea if he even pierced right down to the muscle.

"Assessment complete. Antidote being processed. Manual attachment of intravenous tubes necessary for treatment. Proceed."

This was like some kind of medical drama horror episode. Noh was bleeding from the mouth, he was on the verge of passing out and of no help whatsoever despite his pathetically weak fumbling attempts. Tommy snapped at Plex to walk him through the procedure and somehow, managed.

Finally, he slumped back against the operating table, unused and clean behind him. The worst was over, right? Tommy turned his back for a moment to wash Noh's blood off of his fingers. He might have nightmares about this tonight if the damn treatment Plex cooked up wouldn't take. But he'd done his best, he'd done all he could. That's what people said was the most important thing. He didn't feel any better about it though, so that was verified bullshit.

Clean and tired, the speedster was back beside his downed companion. Noh passed out, which was probably a good thing. Now he wasn't coughing anymore or trying to help himself, which had lead to Tommy's blood-spattered shirt. Fuck, he needed a shower, food and a bed right now.

And yet he stood right there, not moving, watching the Kree with argus eyes.

"You better pull through this, you hear me Noh-Varr? I'm gonna put your name to eternal shame if you let a stupid bacteria kill you."

For once, there was no snappy comeback, no smug smirk or an eye roll. Just a sleeping, pale Kree who looked as if he'd tangoed with Death itself.

Tommy pulled up a stool and sat down, arms wrapped about himself as he waited in silence. He had no idea how long it would take to know if Noh was in the clear or not. Too afraid to disturb Plex' intense treatment of the Kree, he decided he'd just do what he could. Which was to stare and, as much as he'd deny it at any other time, hope.

The walls of the infirmary were starting to close in, reaching for him, shackling his arms, legs and neck. The shiny, cold metal of the operating table. The harsh light flooding the room in icy white. Everything was bringing up memories of misery and suffering, torment under the hands of those that would kill just to know how someone's insides worked.

Tommy redirected his eyes, no longer wanting to see the array of tools meant for life-saving surgery that didn't bring him any comfort. There was a window in the infirmary too, much smaller than on any other part of the ship but a welcome change for Tommy's sight.

At least, for the first two minutes. There was nothing out there but endless black, dotted with the distant memories of stars. It didn't bring Tommy back to the past he vehemently hated. But it did do something else. He was...truly alone. There was nothing beyond this silent room, on a silent ship, floating in the engulfing silence of space.

An involuntary shudder ran down his back. This wasn't like being alone on Earth. There, you knew there were always people. Even if you didn't know anyone, you weren't alone. There was always a bustling hub of life just around the corner or stateline.

Out here?

There was nothing. Only he and the dying Kree on the bed.

Tommy's ears burned with shame as he moved closer, as his hand closed over Noh's arm again. He would run himself into a wall at top speed if anyone ever found him like this, a frightened boy so scared of being alone and forgotten he'd cling to a dying alien who wasn't even conscious.

"Don't leave me alone here, Noh."

His voice was a lonely little whisper into nothing, his fingers finding a position to feel Noh-Varr's pulse. The Kree was the life of this ship and only right now, as he was so close to fading away entirely, did Tommy realize how much he didn't want to lose him. It wasn't....no, it wasn't because he needed someone alive around to pilot this boat. He didn't want to lose Noh. This guy, this stupidly arrogant Kree, he had..definitely become a friend. Someone Tommy thought he could even, to a degree, trust. Fuck. He might actually trust Noh-Varr with his life. The Kree certainly did.

Actually, the Kree probably did more. Tommy remembered the mention of a protocol that would protect him rather than Noh himself. Why the heck would anyone do that? Everything that was smart protected itself first, then maybe helped others. That's how evolution and nature and all that crap worked. Noh-Varr was smart. So why the hell had he planned for Tommy's survival above his own?

"You're such a dick. But...you're a dick I want around. So do me a favour and don't die. I'll give you my coffee grounds to eat and all, alright roach?"

Tommy's plight went unheard and his heart clenched. He better not be having some kind of shock reaction right now. He was not that fucking weak. Someone had to make sure Noh got a hefty punch when he came around for doing something so ostentatiously self-sacrificing for Tommy.

Hours must have dragged by in the silent room. It couldn't have been, of course, but seconds could stretch to hours, minutes to days when someone built for a high velocity life was forced to a standstill.

Tommy's hand remained on Noh's pulse the entire time. The window was a no-go sight, as was the rest of the room. Everything was cold, sterile or an abyss of darkness, so he clung to the only other sight offered to him. Noh-Varr was still out, but he looked like he was resting. Sleeping, maybe? The treatment worked. Or at least, Tommy assumed Plex would have informed him if the Kree was any worse off.

The steady pump of blood and rhythmic rise of Noh-Varr's chest did the speedster a world of good. It soothed his panic, his fear, the memories. Everything he despised was kept at bay by the life beneath his fingertips. All Noh-Varr had to do was keep breathing, keep living, and the universe wouldn't hook Tommy on its claws to devour from the inside out.

Something moved in Tommy's peripheral vision. Plex was rousing, or activating, and his everlasting frown directed itself at Tommy.

"Shepherd Thomas. Your urgent attention is required."

"Not now, Plex. It can wait until he wakes up."

"Proximity alert. Weapon system has been disabled. Shields malfunctioning."

Now that got his attention. Tommy's head whipped around to the intelligence so fast his neck cracked. What the hell kind of update was that?!

"What the...are we under attack?!"

"Proximity alert. Hostile vessel has targeted central life-support core."

This was possibly the worst day Tommy had ever had since stepping foot outside of juvie.

"Plex what the fuck do you want me to do about it?! I thought you're flying this thing!"

"I am. Weapon system offline. Shield operational. Brace for impact, enemy vessel is firing."

"Holy fucking shit, this day just keeps getting better doesn't it." Tommy threw an arm over Noh-Varr to keep the Kree on the bed, grasping onto the nearest wall for support.

The Marvel rocked with the impact, but nothing exploded. Tommy used the precious few seconds he had to strap Noh down and fasten the oxygen mask Plex dropped out of a console over his mouth and nose.

Convinced he'd done everything he could for the Kree, he ran to the bridge. He wanted to see who the assholes attacking them were, face to face. Well, figuratively speaking.

The shape of the strange ship on the screen was too familiar and recent to be forgotten or misplaced. It looked almost scaly, smooth except for where wings flared out near the rear. It was practically a miniature of the pine-cone station.

"Are those the fuckers from the station we just robbed blind?"

"Affirmative. Shields at thirty percent."

"And our guns?"

"Still defective. I have identified the malfunction. Manual maintenance necessary. Caution warning, the access shafts are in direct line of fire."

Tommy bit his tongue with the curses he wished he had time for.

"Can we turn? You know, risk some lower priority systems so I can get to the guns?"

"Acknowledged. Adjusting flight angle, rerouting power of all nonessential systems to shields."

"Great. You better walk me through the process as I get there. And keep an eye on those fuckers shooting at our ass."

"Affirmative, Commander Shepherd."

"...Did you just promote me?"

"Protocol for Shepherd Thomas assuming command of vessel has been activated."

Tommy didn't need to hear the rest. He and Noh would have a serious talk about this leaving-his-ship-to-Tommy bullshit when this day of hell was over.

For now, he had maintenance shafts to reach.

*

"Warning. Life support failing. Warning. Hull breach. Warning. Oxygen levels at 2%. Warning. Main drive offline. Warning. Plex unit offline. Warning. Epiphany engines offline."

Tommy wondered if he was going to haunt this hulk of a ship after he died. He certainly hoped someone would turn off the juice on that damn warning system by then. Spending all eternity with the endless list of system failure reports sounded like a personal hell designed just for him.

No time for morbid philosophy now.

For a moment, right after the guns were back online, Tommy thought he'd seen the worst of the day. He'd been so very wrong. Plex opened fire on their enemy, but the mini pine-cone did not go quietly. The Marvel suffered heavy blows, the shields going down and just about every important piece of the ship damaged. Tommy thought he might have gone deaf thanks to the alarms and explosions.

Somehow, they survived though. The enemy ship was destroyed. And then, Plex had gone offline. Just like that, blipped out of 'existence', leaving Tommy on a wrecked spaceship that struggled to maintain the lives of those that called her home.

He didn't know if it was pure adrenaline or panic or some deeply primal instinct, but somehow, Tommy knew where to go, remembered bits and pieces of Noh's endless, boring explanations of how the ship worked.

The power was definitely gone, everything was so cold by now and it was getting hard to breathe.

Tommy couldn't run anymore. The ground didn't hold his feet, he'd started to float as the gravity went down with the power. He was lucky the ship still maintained the pressure and oxygen at all. Though the latter of those was definitely fading fast.

He made it to the access shafts at least. But they were so small, he had to crawl. With the ship growing as deadly cold as space itself, he didn't have much time.

He must have been somewhere behind the shield system. Everything here glowed with an alarming orange, but the machines weren't providing any heat despite looking burned out enough to make him think they might hold some residuals. No such luck. Besides, he couldn't just crawl in a tunnel and curl around some hot metal and hope someone else would save him. There wasn't anyone to do that. Not for light years, probably.

It would have been easier to stay down. At least, that's what his body was telling him, every limb and organ asking, begging him to just stay down, to let death meander through every part of the ship and eventually claim him, long after he would lose consciousness.

It would be easy to give up.

But Tommy Shepherd never had been one to give up. Not when he was on his own after his mother discovered his mutant powers, not when the woman who swore to love him like her biological child threw him into an abyss of pain and abuse and not when the replacement family he found broke apart at the seams.

So hell no, he would not give up now. Everything depended on him. There was no one out here, no one would know they died, no one would care. If Tommy didn't get up now, he and the incapacitated Kree in the infirmary would disappear from the universe without even the slightest bump in history.

Another agonizing push had his lungs beg for air that no longer circulated through the ship, had his muscles shiver beneath the skin from the cloying cold of outer space. Even his suit wasn't providing much assistance. He had to reach the auxiliary batteries, do what Noh-Varr had shown him at least twice, though he never paid attention. He'd worry about which wires and crap to connect when he got there. The distance to the core was laughable. With his speed, he should have been able to reach it within a fifth of a second under normal circumstances which included a standardized gravity field.

But this was not the time to complain or be terrified by the prospect of not being able to run. Life and death ran like sand through Tommy's aching fingers.

The core clicked softly in front of him, the lights and power slumbering, oblivious to those dependent on it.

Right. He could do this. He had to, or this really was the end of the line.

His fingers were numb and stiff, barely felt like his own digits as he moved them over the panels around the core. Finally, the metal gave way. Tommy stared at the mess of cables and circuits, trying hard to squeeze every memory of Noh-Varr's words into his head. It felt like he was coaxing magma into being water.

Noh-Varr. What did he say? Green was always power. Green was the one to the zero. Okay. Orange was bad. God, he had no idea what he was doing, but he had to do something, and fast. The air was...well, there was no air. He held everything he had in his lungs there and continued the pattern he hoped was the right one. Green, gold, white, black. Green, gold, white, black.

Something whirred. Something clicked. Tommy couldn't hold his breath anymore. Just as he released the last air he may ever breathe, the core lit up, green. Active. Good. Tommy rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Whatever he did, he hoped it would at least save Noh, even if it was too late for him. That stupid Kree didn't even know how lucky he was.

Tommy's last thought before blacking out was a jolt of realization that he'd never even confirmed Noh-Varr even survived the infection.

I don't want to die alone. Please let this not be it. I don't want to die alone.

When he woke up to a bright light, his first thought went something like ‘shit, there’s gonna be a ton of crap to answer for at the end of this tunnel’.

What he didn’t expect was to feel the strength and warmth of a hand on his arm, then both of his shoulders.

“Tommy Shepherd, you are the most astounding human I’ve ever encountered. And I mean that in a most positive manner.”

He couldn’t laugh, not yet, his lungs still felt as if he’d been a part of the Poseidon Adventure, but a weak little chuckle made it through.

“You may begin your worship of my magnificence right now. It’s totally appropriate for me saving all our asses. Even Plex’ green, nonexistent one.”

“Take it easy hero, shut up and sleep. You did good.”

Tommy never thought Noh’s voice alone could offer him so much support and comfort, but hell, he was in no position to philosophise. He’d do plenty of that when he woke up in maybe a week. He’d done it. He pulled them through.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is it?"

"Were you expecting something in particular? The only data Kate retrieved were these coordinates."

"Yeah but..." Tommy sighed, looking over the small moon one more time. It looked kind of like Earth's, dipped in a little blood for that extra special sinister sort of look. The crags that ran along the surface were tinted an even darker red, as if the whole place was bleeding. It was kind of disgusting and fascinating, if you were into that sort of goth stage where everything morbid was instantly a favourite. Tommy never had a goth phase, he'd seen enough sick shit never to want to plant his interests into them again, but he did have a flirt with arson and unsavoury shenanigans.

Still, bleeding moons were not his thing.

And this was the place Billy had teleported to? How was that even possible? They were half a galaxy away from Earth. Did he even survive that kind of trip?

Unease that was foreign to Tommy's emotional world settled into his stomach, made his tongue heavy and throat tight. What if Billy wasn't here? Or was, just, you know, dead?

They had nothing to go on but Stark's little chip and hope. And hope was something Tommy Shepherd had come not to trust.

"Tommy. You don't have to come down to the surface with me."

"The hell I don't. He's my brother. Annoying or not, I'm gonna save him."

The silence behind him told him enough of Noh-Varr's thoughts that he didn't want to hear him voice any of them. The hand on his shoulder was warm, almost too warm, and reminded him too much of someone about to tell him his efforts were futile. Again. God he hated when people did that. Without even trying, giving up on real, actual lives. If Noh's next word was an apology the Kree was going to nurse a broken hand.

"We will find him."

Tommy turned slightly, barely moving in place. That was not what he had expected, at all. Noh never really showed confidence for their mission, much less for Tommy's goals of finding his lost friends. But the sincerity in the Kree's gaze told him that Noh-Varr wasn't patronizing, or apologizing. He genuinely believed in his own words. And it was refreshing. Tommy let himself linger in the comfort of being supported for only a moment. It was an unfamiliar world and he was not in the mood to explore much of it. But a moment was fine. Nice, almost.

"Not gonna tell me it's futile? That I'm being illogical?"

"On the contrary. Your loyalty is admirable. And despite your words, you haven't yet proven entirely irrational. You've saved my life. It's only fitting I help you save those of your friends and family."

Tommy was actually stumped for words. This was a day to mark down on your calendar folks, because it happened very, very seldomly. The speedster swallowed down the lump forming in his throat.

"Okay. Then let's get to the rescuing. The speeches can come later."

"Agreed. Though I have yet to hear you construct your sentences with thought so I'm very curious as to how you manage a speech."

"Smartass. Get your arrogant Kree self over to your computer and do some tech hijink to find a structure down there, and life signs."

"Yes, Commander Shepherd."

The mock salute completely disrupted the heavy atmosphere from moments ago and Tommy actually found himself losing a snort. Damn it, the roach's humour was starting to grow on him, like a sort of arrogant and stubborn mould.

"Move it roach."

The bleeding moon, or as Plex named it, Jayneston (who came up with these names?!) hung beneath them now, still, dark and eerie. It was a creepy place no matter how you looked at it.

"So?"

Tommy leaned over the back of Noh-Varr's chair, pretending to read the Kree symbols rolling over the semi-transparent screen.

"Got lifesigns. Two dozen, but I have some bad news."

Noh-Varr didn't sound cocky anymore. That didn't bode well. Usually, he was so smug about his readings and results.

"Which would be?"

"...Shi'ar."

"Was that a Kree curse word?"

"Very nearly. We don't have a good history."

"I'm not surprised. Doesn't seem like anyone likes Kree in any galaxy."

"Your ill-timed humour aside, this is troublesome. Shi'ar are fearsome warriors and they will not give up their prey easily. Damn vultures."

Tommy leaned over the chair further to gauge the seriousness of Noh's expression. It was off the stick-up-his-ass-Kree charts.

"Are you scared of bird-people, roach?"

That got him a glare as icy as the arctic, complete with a sneer to might cause volcanoes to stop erupting.

"I do not experience fear, Thomas Shepherd."

"You sure? You look like you might wet your pants right now. Do you need me to hold your hand?"

"Strap yourself in. We're landing."

There was absolutely no need to dip The Marvel down as hard and fast as Noh-Varr forced her to right now and Tommy was glad he'd actually followed instructions for once and buckled himself into a seat. Everything was rattling and the frontal display showed vast expanses of rock that they might become intimately acquainted with at any second.

"Uhm, could you hit the breaks? I didn't plan on being moon pizza today, I'm wearing my favourite shirt."

"You only have the one shirt."

Tommy's fingers dug into the armrests of his chair with every second the surface raced to meet them.

Finally, The Marvel's nose pulled up to level them with a view of the moon's horizon and the landing gear slid out into place with a heavy clunk. The schooner came to rest smoothly, despite her rapid descent.

The preparation was silent and fast. Noh-Varr already donned his entire suit, so clearly the atmosphere on this moon wasn't any kind of pleasant. The Kree stepped into Tommy's path to the door though, holding something that was clearly not intended for his hands.

"Jayneston's gravity is going to make your speed useless. Here's your substitute."

"...Are you shitting me?"

Noh-Varr dumped the heavy rifle into Tommy's hands with a raised eyebrow. And what a rifle it was. Tommy wasn't exactly a gun-nut, but he thought about possibly being converted at this very moment, with this beauty in his grasp.

The barrel was made of the smoothest silver he'd ever seen, though he was pretty sure if he asked, Noh-Varr would laugh and tell him about whatever alien metal this baby was made of. And throw in a lecture about the insufficient properties of silver whilst he was at it.

Some kind of liquid core appeared to be the rifle's power source and magazine. It reminded Tommy of the liquid he'd seen pulsing through one of the engines of the ship. Definitely a Kree weapon then.

"You're handing me a gun I've never used, you know that right?"

"I'm well aware," Noh held something else now and stepped right into Tommy's personal bubble. It prompted a queasy feeling in Tommy's stomach that he was quick to subdue. All the Kree was doing was attaching something that glowed just like the power core to his hip, no need to freak out or think about how Noh-Varr's fingers slid over his waist. This. Was. Not. The. Time.

"You'll know. It's an easy weapon to use, a molecular disruptor."

"You mean, it makes people explode?"

"Spectacularly."

"I think you just won my heart, roach."

"I'll be sure to treasure it."

Any other person, any other time, and that might have sounded like some kind of flirtatious comment. But with Noh-Varr, nothing was ever that simple. Plus, the sarcastic multitude of his voice did nothing to insinuate he meant it in that cheesy way anyone else would have said it.

This was why Tommy got along with him. This guy, he got it. He stepped right up to Tommy's plate and threw crap right back in his face, without spite, but not without spine. Noh-Varr was cool in Tommy's books. Not that anyone ever got a peek at those, of course.

"Alright."

Tommy took a step forward as soon as Noh was done fiddling and lifted the rifle up, cocking his hip out and presenting the Kree with what could only be an amazingly badass pose. This was the only way to travel the universe in style. Whoever might have laughed at the idea of a seventeen year old speedster running a rescue mission across the stars might as well choke on their drool right now.

"Let's go kick Shi'ar ass."

Clearly, that was precisely the thing to tell Noh-Varr, because the Kree's face lit up into this magnificent-

Holy shit he really needed to get out there and shoot something in the face. Repeatedly. Or at least until it exploded.

Finding the Shi'ar facility was no problem at all.

Getting inside of the place was a different matter entirely. Tommy knew what Shi'ar looked like, even if he couldn't have placed the name when Noh-Varr spat it out as if it slept with his mother.

They were pretty okay for an alien race, at least they looked humanoid. Then again, Tommy knew not to underestimate anything that didn't have claws or teeth on display. Intelligence was much harder to deal with than ostentatious natural weaponry.

The facility was some sort of basecamp and it must have been placed there only recently. Everything still gleamed with that factory-fresh shine of metal that had yet to see the scorch marks and dents of battle. The speedster would be more than happy to make those if it meant rescuing Billy, who sat somewhere inside of it. What the hell were the Shi'ar doing with a mutant witch anyway?

"If you vibrate any more, you're going to cause a quake."

Noh-Varr's tone was low, apprehensive and yet focused. The Kree obviously switched from obnoxious smartass into tactical commander the moment their feet touched lunar ground.

Tommy stilled his body, willed all of his anxiety to a banished corner of his mind. He needed to have a hundred percent capacity right now, anything else might get them all killed.

"I hope your silence doesn't mean you're clueless about getting in. I vote we blast down the door, christen this baby," he proffered the gun as if it was the answer to all questions in life, "and rescue my stupid, teleporting brother."

"Whilst that may be a good impulse to have, its a terrible plan in the face of the Shi'ar. For example, what if they don't agree to be still targets while you learn to use that gun? Or what if they have a gun to your brother's head?"

Noh had this distinct way of making sense whilst being absolutely infuriating. Tommy gave a huff and choked on a snappy retort about his speed, remembering the reason he held a gun in the first place.

Through gritted teeth and something close to a snarl, he pressed out a slow answer.

"And what is your brilliant plan then?"

The Kree nodded, to himself more than his companion, before fixing his eyes back on the structure. Tommy felt it like physical heat leaving his body, not to have that intense gaze on him anymore. And found himself curiously eager to leap back into Noh-Varr's attention. What was he, a yippy pomeranian desperate to be praised? Jeez, he'd definitely spent too much time pottering around in that bucket of a spaceship with this roach.

"We split up. Distraction and extraction. Since we can't ascertain your brother's mental state, I suggest you do the extraction. I wouldn't normally send in an untrained gunman, but this situation leaves me little choice. Billy may not trust me upon sight, which is where you are at a tactical advantage. But I need to make one thing clear; You do not use that gun unless you absolutely have to. Attacking a Shi'ar will only infuriate the rest of them and draw their attention to you. Once you find Billy, you move out. Do not wait for a signal, just go as quickly and quietly as you can."

Tommy listened, carefully now that he understood the gravity of the situation. Noh's strategy made sense, mostly, even if Tommy was out of his element with the whole search and rescue part. The roach thought well ahead of their immediate position, and if Tommy should, god forbid, for once be honest about something in his life, he'd admit to the respect he found for the Kree right now. Noh-Varr was doing this with him, they were a team and they played off of each other's strengths. He wasn't Noh's sidekick or child, and the Kree didn't treat him as such. No, he expected a mostly responsible, adult superhero from Tommy. And Speed would deliver, because when it counted, he was the fucking man.

"Alright. Sounds good. Speed should work inside that place, right? It'll make searching easier. I go in, grab Billy, get the fuck out of there. Then what?"

"We regroup at the ship. Get your brother on board, but don't let your guard down. The Marvel has a very capable weapon system and it can target specific lifeforms. I've set an extremely prejudiced protocol against Shi'ar."

Tommy couldn't help the grin. No matter how strategic and calm, Noh was still kind of a racist asshole. Not that it was an endearing quality, but it made the Kree a little less perfect and a lot easier to read and predict.

"Okay, got it. You going first?"

"Yes. Wait until you can hear the engagement."

No further planning was needed. Both of them were already eager to get this done and with the tactic laid out, there was no reason to delay. Neither needed reminding to be careful, they were damn professionals, right?

Noh-Varr was gone in an instant. He must have used his whiterun ability, because in the next second, Tommy heard gunfire, far off to the left, near the outer perimeter of the facility. The first shi'ar guards were rushing outside and Tommy readied himself.

Trusting in the Kree's ability to handle the flock of guards, Tommy rushed to the right, the closest entrance. Vibrating through still worked, though the slow jog moments before certainly unsettled him.

Once inside, his instincts took over. With his speed reinstated, searching the rooms and corridors proved easy enough. He didn't see many shi'ar, so Noh must have given them one hell of a distraction.

Eventually, he even found what he was looking for. Behind three very solid, plexiglass (it probably wasn't, but Tommy didn't stop to ask) was Billy. Not chained down, nor heavily guarded, but definitely muzzled. He really kind of looked like a cannibal. One very depressed cannibal.

The mage had been locked in a room no bigger than a closet, and he wasn't looking for a way out. He merely sat in a corner, tattered and torn and a little bruised. But hell, he was alive and that was plenty.

Tommy didn't wait, he vibrated through every door with ease until he stood before his twin.

"Hey Hannibal Lecter, feel like a little walk outside?"

Billy took way too long to look up. Tommy didn't think he'd ever seen someone look so gone, and he'd seen plenty of broken souls.

The mage didn't look startled or surprised. He looked Tommy over for a solid minute before looking away once more.

Tommy leaned down and tore the muzzle from his twin's face.

"Yo, Billy, we need to scram. Pack your things."

There was no response, not even a slight change in Billy's eyes. Fuck, Tommy's finger was twitching for a shi'ar face and a trigger. But he had priorities. He could figure out how to snap Billy out of it later. Now it was time to go.

Since there was no help coming from his brother, Tommy gathered him up, slinging him over a shoulder with some difficulty. He just wasn't broad enough for potato-sack-brother-carrying. Jostling the gun to his other arm, he took a deep breath.

The escape was working. God damn, Noh must be taunting them like hell if they completely lost track of their prisoner like this. Tommy already reached the exit before he even saw a shi'ar. But that one didn't get the opportunity to sound an alarm, because Tommy finally found purpose for his new gun. Not a fatal shot, though the alien certainly deserved it. It was still enough to explode the shi'ar's leg into an ugly mess. Tommy didn't stop to look, making the harsh, slow trek back to the ship at a disturbingly human pace.

Two more Shi'ar came his way, but just because he couldn't run didn't mean he was defenceless. Even with his brother slung over his shoulder, arms dangling on Tommy's back. The shi'ar were closely acquainted with just how good a shot Tommy could be, which meant exploded limbs and enemies rendered harmless.

Finally, the rump of the ship loomed up in front of them. Tommy never thought he could be so reassured by giant guns protruding from the hull. More screeching of an alien language behind him was enough for his brisk jog to turn into a short-lived sprint as he ambled into the open hangar bay. Just seconds later, the Marvel's cannons boomed. Or hissed, whatever noise you wanted to ascribe to large, laser like blasts that left blackened holes where Shi'ar used to be.

In safety, Tommy could deposit his brother. It was more of a falling struggle to remove Billy, handle the gun and try to turn back to cover his back. They tumbled down in a heap and clutter.

Tommy snapped his head up, the visor retreating as the bay door closed. Billy somehow ended up just sitting on his ass. But more importantly, he was staring. There was life in those eyes and that was an even bigger relief than having made it back to the ship in one piece.

"Tommy?"


	9. Chapter 9

Candles on a spaceship were just plain weird. Or at least, he'd never really agreed on the meld of sci-fi and occult, in movies, books or real life.

Tommy leaned back against the stairs leading to the bridge, watching Billy shuffle around furniture that had been perfectly fine exactly where it was, thank you.

Mages. Always had to make things dramatic, right?

"Look, do you really have to do this now? We know where he is, Noh already said he plotted a course."

Billy looked up at him, and Tommy kind of lost a little of his nerve. The way his brother's gaze went through him, the glassy expression of someone who'd witnessed horror was awfully familiar. He'd seen it on so many of the kids he was locked up with...Before his solitary confinement.

Tommy shook it off, raising an eyebrow to prompt an answer.

"I have to know if he's okay. I just need to try one more time."

"Alright, fine. But no crazy teleporting or any other strange magic tricks. Noh's gonna kill me if you fuck up his baby."

"I won't."

Billy's eyes looked a little more alive, but also very blue. So he was already preparing for the spell. Could he do that without talking now?

"Magic away then, Scarlet junior."

It said a hell of a lot about Billy's state of mind that he didn't retort to that obvious opening and just turned from Tommy, muttering his spell. What exactly he was trying to do, Tommy still didn't know. But at least he wasn't looking like a crazy man anymore. The speedster knew how dedicated and probably obsessed with Teddy his twin was and his current control over his raging emotions was probably a credit to him. Yet Tommy didn't feel safe, leaving him alone even when he was doing this thing that only he knew of. Something Tommy had no control over whatsoever. Still, he was here. And if shit went down, he could react quickly enough.

"I want to see Teddy, I want to see Teddy..."

The chanting was growing louder, more desperate if you listened closely. Tommy did. If Billy broke again, he'd have to know in time.

Something shimmered in front of Billy now. It almost looked like some kind of mirror and Tommy would have laughed if the situation that swirled into sight wasn't so dire.

Teddy was alive. And locked up, chained down, looking scared witless. His eyes were wide, his face bruised which in itself was a cause for concern considering how quickly Skrulls tended to heal. The vision flickered and blurred, then something, no, someone came into sight.

"Noh-Varr! Get in here NOW!" Tommy hollered, mind present to draw the Kree into the loop. Maybe this vision would be exactly the kind of information they'd need before mounting a rescue. His presence of mind was rewarded with a crash, then the sound of running feet and the instant arrival of the Kree he summoned.

"Teddy...Oh god, Teddy," Billy was whispering to the shimmering vision, hand raised as if he could soothe all that ailed his boyfriend. Around his fingers, the magic 'mirror' swam out of existence and left holes in the display.

"Those are..." Noh spoke his first words as figures appeared in front of Teddy. Not much more than outlines and backs, but enough for the Kree to draw his breath in sharply.

"What? What is it?" Tommy was getting impatient now. Between his loopy brother and the gasping Kree, he was getting precious little information.

"Teddy, don't be scared, I'm coming, we're coming!" Billy was yelling now and almost jumping into the shimmering circle that dissolved around him not slowly, but popping like a soap bubble.

"Billy."

No response, just a few muttered assurances meant for ears that would not hear them no matter how heartfelt.

"Billy Kaplan."

Noh-Varr tried again and this time, the mage stilled and ceased his mumbling.

"Were those the men who took Teddy?"

The Kree was glaring, not with aggression directed at Tommy's twin, but with the same hard expression he'd had when they entered Shi'ar space. Actually, he'd been pretty tense ever since they'd come to the Pama system.

"Yes."

Wordlessly, Noh-Varr turned and left the mess, Billy and Tommy behind. He climbed the stairs, not up to the bridge, but down to engineering. A place he went to when he got into a mood and needed privacy.

Great. Tommy decided getting Billy to calm down took priority over finding out what soured Noh's mood. Since when was he responsible for this team mediation crap?

"Hey...Billy. It's gonna be okay. We're gonna get to him, we'll save him, and then you can make out and be gross and sweet all over each other again, okay?"

He wasn't good at this comforting crap either, but he couldn't leave Billy sitting in the middle of his candles, clutching at his knees. So he put a hand on the mage's shoulder, squeezing and offering the most support he could muster.

Surprisingly enough though, it was what Billy needed. His hand came up to clutch Tommy's for a moment and the speedster didn't pull away.

"I'm glad you're here, Tommy. Really. I...I mean if you hadn't come after us..."

"Please don't get all bleeding heart on me, bro. You can save the praise and worship of me until we get home. You can even write a book about my thrilling heroics."

Billy gave a snort, which still sounded blubbery, but a lot more like himself. Good. He was getting better. Double good, because they could definitely use a mage on their side if this got any more hairy.

"You and Noh-Varr work really well together."

"Woah, what? I'm nice to you and you insult me like that? Billy, I'm hurt, why you gotta cut me this way bro?"

"And people say I'm a drama queen." Billy used the hand Tommy still hadn't pulled back to heft himself to his feet. With a sweeping gesture, all the candles around them lifted and extinguished.

"I'll clean up. I'm okay...I mean it. Thanks. Now go see what's up with Noh-Varr. I have a feeling he knows something and he probably won't tell me."

"Yeah, well, you need a bit of Kree-whispering skill to get along with the roach. Don't sweat it Billy, not all of us can be as gifted as me."

"You're a shmuck sometimes, Tommy. Go. Kree whisperer."

Tommy gave him his version of a middle-fingered salute and took off down the stairs.

The engineering deck was probably a wet dream for people inclined to science fiction, or just bigass machines. Tommy had to admit, he was always a little impressed when he came down here.

To think Noh knew how to repair and run all this shit...it was kind of cool. And heck, by now, he could actually admit that the Kree roach was just that. Cool. He was an asshole, of course, but one Tommy actually got. He wasn't crass, he wasn't crazy. Sure, he had a stick up his ass the size of one of those extinct trees and he could be insufferable and he loved his ship way too much. But he was alright. He had Tommy's back. That was all that really counted. He was dependable in ways Tommy never considered anyone to be. And he was doing all of this because of their deal. Because he honoured the debt he had to the speedster. And that was something else in Shepherd existence. To have someone respect him (in a strange way) was...oh hell, he had no time to think about wording this in his mind.

He found the subject of his thoughts standing in front of Plex' tank. The green head had one on every deck except the private quarters. Tommy shared his with Billy, because the mage expressed a need not to be alone. For now, Tommy indulged him. Only because he'd been through some awful shit and Tommy would never abandon someone who needed him.

Noh-Varr looked like he needed one of his amazing jokes right now. His face was grim and focused and Tommy was pretty sure he was talking to Plex in his head again.

"Bug boy. You know you look really creepy when you do that, right?"

Noh-Varr didn't laugh. Damn it. It must be serious if the Kree couldn't spare him a sneer at the very least.

"I do not wish to talk, Tommy."

"Tough luck, Noh, I do. I wanna know what's going on. You saw those guys and bolted. Which, knowing you, doesn't bode well. So spill it."

"You're not going to leave until I do, are you?"

"Got that right. Talk."

"Fine."

Noh-Varr did him the courtesy of looking his way now. He always looked right into the eyes of whom he was speaking to. It was blunt and mostly rude, but also very honest. Tommy secretly respected that too.

"Those men in Billy's vision. I know...what they are."

"Don't you mean who?"

The Kree shook his head.

"No, I don't know them personally. But I saw their equipment. I saw the restraints on Teddy. Those were Kree, Tommy."

Tommy blew out a sigh, scratching his arm before shrugging. The information was not enough to justify a storming off just yet.

"So? We kind of suspected that, what with this being the Kree system and all. Home sweet home, right?"

"Not quite. Not this Hala." Noh swallowed and paused. That was rare. Usually, he'd spill his thoughts with a healthy dose of snark and insult. This, whatever it was, really had him on edge then.

"Those Kree were commandos. But I think...I can't be sure, but I think they were rogue. They bore the insignia of the Priests of Pama."

Tommy continued to do an excellent expression of a goat. He felt like bleating too, because nothing about this conversation made sense yet.

"Who?"

Noh-Varr's sigh was halfway to angry now, Tommy's questions providing no comfort at all.

"It's a long story. They worshipped the Cortati. Ancient race that used to be resident to Hala too. The priests used to be pacifists, but that message is long lost. The current worshippers of the Cortati are religious fanatics. And they're dangerous. Very much so. Kree soldiers are always efficient, but tenfold so if they believe hard in something."

"Oh."

Yes, that was just about as much input as Tommy could give right now. Religious nuts were not exclusive to Earth, apparently. Not that the thought of Kree bible-bashers was anymore comforting though. Noh-Varr took no notice of his expression, continuing his stream of consciousness.

"What I don't understand is what they are doing so close to Hala. They can't be sanctioned. This kidnapping must have purpose, but I can't imagine the Accuser knows of this."

"Great, does that mean we can ask your guys to help out? You know everyone loves beating down fanatics."

Now the Kree looked uncomfortable, as if Tommy just asked him to cut off a leg and eat it. That was also a brand new expression on his usually stoic face.

"No. I didn't...exactly leave on the best terms last time I was on Hala."

"Oh great," Tommy threw up his arms, "what does that mean? You pissed someone off?"

"Betrayed my entire race, attacked the Supreme Intelligence."

"Fucking hell, the whole traitor deal? Why would you do that, you love your damn Kree."

"To save Earth."

Tommy's pissy commentary got stuck in his throat. Noh-Varr was doing his brutally honest gaze again, the one that felt like your insides were being scanned for deceit or something. Just when he thought he knew his Kree companion, Noh-Varr threw out heavy shit like that. Tommy's mind reeled, processed, moved on. Save that information for a later conversation. Which they would have, possibly over beer.

"Uhm. Well. Okay. So no help from Hala then?"

"Unlikely. But there is something I can do. If I can access just one of the public terminals...military deployment is information open to any of the populus."

"You're talking about going to Hala? The place you pissed everyone off on?"

"Correct."

"I think I respect you a little bit right now."

Noh-Varr's smile was strained, but genuine.

"That's comforting."

"I always wanted to know what kind of awful place you call home." Tommy grinned, already fired up. He'd been sitting around playing mediator and comfortable shoulder for too long already.

That careful smile from before vanished from Noh's face and he shook his head slowly, deliberately. Each motion had Tommy's enthusiasm wane.

"You're not coming with me."

"What? Of course I am. That's how we do these-"

"No. You can't."

"Don't tell me it's too dangerous. That's bullshit. I can handle myself and you know it. You need me on this Noh-Varr, don't even fucking pretend otherwise." Tommy was about two seconds from letting the Kree experience just how a stubborn tantrum looked, Shepherd-style.

"Please. This is something I need to do on my own. It's not for your safety...but for my sanity."

Well. That took the wind out of his sails. Tommy deflated, feeling very put out and no longer excited for action.

"Your...sanity? You mean...closure type of shit?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Fuck. How the hell could he argue with that? Noh-Varr knew his own planet and people best. Besides, Billy couldn't handle the ship and Teddy's rescue on his own.

As much as it went against everything he'd come to believe in ever since joining the stupid team, Tommy quelled his need to argue and debate.

"...If you don't come back alive, I will personally murder your ass. Got that, roach?"

Noh-Varr reached out to clasp his arm in that strange warrior handshake Kree were prone to. Relief was sketched onto his face plain as day. Tommy had said the right thing. Maybe he was actually good at mediation.

"Understood, Tommy Shepherd."


	10. Chapter 10

It was almost surreal, having Billy here after those weeks trundling through space with only his thoughts, worries and Noh-Varr for company.

His brother's presence wasn't what it used to be, though. Billy was reserved, quiet, kept to himself, muttered things that might have been ideas, nightmares or spells.

With the rush from that bloody moon to the Pama system, Tommy had not found time to speak with Billy much at all. He knew the mage was worried to death about his boyfriend and it wasn't as if the tiny crew of the Marvel didn't have their own concerns. Besides, Tommy wasn't good at talking and comforting. He was always good for a dismissive joke, some playful fighting, something to take the edge off of the harshness of life.

But Billy didn't respond to any of his quips, shrugging them off with an exhausted smile that was about as jovial as a grave. Or maybe even an entire graveyard.

Tommy's been avoiding the moment they were forced to interact, busying himself with things that didn't need attending to, especially not by him. Hiding out on the bridge hadn't worked, so the speedster found himself shimmying down to engineering. It wasn't exactly a room he called homey or familiar, but it was better than the infirmary (he still didn't like medical places) or worse, a room with his PTS brother. Tommy knew that the rest of their team would be meeting his reaction with severe disapproval. But what right did they have to judge him? He was the one out here looking for Billy and Teddy in the first place. Where were those righteous teammates of his now?

He knew he was being cruelly unfair and just a little vindictive, but after seeing what kind of hell Billy went through out here, even Tommy was hard-pressed to be anything but frustrated and agitated. Which was, despite most impressions, the opposite of what he preferred to be.

Moving past engines that had kept him alive for over three weeks now, Tommy ran his finger along one of the fluorescent green pipes that probably ended in Plex' main tank. Even if he didn't often see the engineering deck with its crawl-spaces and maintenance shafts and glowing machines, it was still part of a place he'd come to realise felt like home.

He knew what Noh-Varr saw in this ship, in her potential. Not just an accommodation. A home that could take you anywhere, anytime, any dimension. That was a whole new level to freedom even Tommy had never experienced. Noh-Varr lived here for years before coming to Earth 616, right? How incredibly confined he must have felt, stuck on one planet with not one person who knew just what he was missing.

Tommy steered clear of the topic of Noh's incarceration. He knew what that kind of captivity felt like all too well. It never came up in conversation, but when he and the Kree spoke, there was something...too familiar. Not the same, but an uncanny deja vu. Maybe he and Noh-Varr should have teamed up months ago. It felt kind of...good, to be around someone who didn't need to ask about his past, because in a way, he'd been there himself.

The tube his fingers lazily slid over came to a smooth, cool end and so did his disturbingly domestic thoughts. That kind of mush was not Tommy Shepherd thought material, thank you very much.

"Shepherd, Thomas. Inquiry?"

Plex' voice was no longer something out of his nightmares, nor was the appearance of the disembodied, green head a vision to give him any.

"Hey, baby head, you grew!"

"...Correct, PLEX cranial mass increased perpendicular to upload of shi'ar server drone."

"You ate a drone?"

"Incorrect. Absorbed information. Expanded library. Inquiry?"

Tommy stopped touching the glass like a kid at an aquarium and squatted down, deciding the floor was plenty comfortable for now. He'd hide out here. Plex wasn't the greatest company, but he was also not a mage in need of comfort Tommy couldn't give.

"Do me a favour, don't tell Billy where I am. Or, wait, tell him I'm doing something important and can't be disturbed, alright?"

"Acknowledged."

"Good baby-head. Though you're kind of getting too big for that."

"Are you requesting a size reading?"

"Nah, I'll stick with head. Why don't you tell me something about Noh's little home down under?"

Why was he even asking? Noh-Varr said he'd be back soon and anyway, if he wouldn't show up at the estimated time, Tommy would get down there and kick his sorry roach ass all the way back to the ship. And yet...it would be...logical to get an idea of what he might have to go through in case his stupid Kree companion got himself into another mess.

"Mission parameters and Hala defense system specifics are restricted to commanding officer Noh-Varr, Shepherd Thomas."

"Oh come on Plex. You're gonna have to tell me later anyway. Better to lean forward than land on your ass right? Besides, I'm practically Noh's second in command."

"Limited access granted. Overriding current restrictions over WCCP."

Tommy didn't want to know what that acronym stood for. All he wanted was to sit back and listen, watch and possibly snark about whatever Noh was doing.

His self-imposed exile didn't last nearly as long as he'd hoped for though. Plex stopped midway through an explanation of automatic anti-xeno plasma rifles as footsteps echoed through the long hall of machinery.

Tommy roused from where he'd been slouching a moment too late. His twin brother already spotted the silver of his hair and called his name.

Crap. Just when he'd thought he'd be out of the pan for a while.

"Are you done hiding from me?"

One day, Tommy was going to find out where Billy learned to make people feel guilty with just six words. The speedster didn't even need to see his face to identify the expression. Not a puppy gaze, but one that made you want to sit back and think about what exactly you did to make this young man unhappy.

With a groan, Tommy sprung to his feet. Nothing ever happened slowly with him. Though he definitely wished he could speed through the next several minutes.

"Just a little. Look, I know you're upset about Teddy and you probably wanna talk and stuff, but it's really not my thing and I'd rather not be your shoulder to cry on-"

"I'm not here to cry."

Billy's tone changed, clipped Tommy's sentence as it cleaved through the quiet hum of the machines. Plex had grown suspiciously dormant, almost as if the floating head was awkwardly avoiding any detection.

"You're not?"

"No!" a little too sharp even for Billy's ears, he sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. They'd grown messy and over his eyes, but a space rescue mission was no time for a haircut.

"No. I just...I can't be alone right now. And I know you're not exactly someone who cares, but I need to hear a familiar voice. I can't stand sitting around alone, in silence. Please. Just. Tell me what you've been doing, tell me what it was like back on Earth, anything."

Damn that boy. Tommy strode past his twin, bumping into his shoulder lightly instead of offering comfort. He was bad at that, remember?

"Fine. Hungry anyway. Come on."

For all his complaining and hiding, Tommy didn't do half-bad at taking Billy's mind off of Teddy's plight and his ordeal. With the mess table laden down with all sorts of (alien) food, anything was endurable. Although it pretty much just amounted to a very long tale told in a very short amount of time. But what else would you expect from someone who lived at Tommy's pace?

Billy looked content though. Chewing on something that tasted vaguely like dragon fruit with lime and banana yet had the consistency of bread and a cup of green tea that was actually green, the mage kept quiet and listened as Tommy retold the adventures he'd had aboard this ship. The mage laughed about Tommy's mishap with the fierce Hellarians, held his breath at the near collision with a Skrull cruiser and gave an appraising look at Tommy's heroic rescue of his Kree shipmate. Well. Maybe his appraisal turned into a little smug smile as he summarized something Tommy didn't lose a word about.

"So, you and Noh-Varr are a pretty good team, aren't you? I was...well, surprised to see him here. I mean, I wasn't expecting anyone to come to our rescue, but the last I remember of that guy was his fist in my face. And not in a sexy way."

Tommy almost spat out the roasted leg of some sort of amphibian (even in space, everything tasted like chicken) at the last statement.

"Only you would say that. I guess now I know you're not a skrull."

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"No, not really. Noh can smell skrulls, he says they stink and he always gets real fucking snooty when we talk about them. Typical Kree, you know? Head so far up their own ass they can eat their food twice."

Billy pulled a face and pointedly put aside his bread. Tommy had this way of ruining appetites with words. It was almost a talent.

"But he's alright. I mean, for a Kree. We've been through some shit, he's got my back, I've got his."

Those words weren't really supposed to follow. That brain-mouth filter of his needed some work. Tommy could almost feel his twin putting together pieces of a puzzle only he was keen to solve.

But whatever had come to a conclusion in his head, Billy kept to himself. Instead, he offered him one of those hideous smiles that made you want to wrap an arm around the mage and ruffle his hair. Tommy resisted.

"I'm glad you found someone you trust, Tommy. Really. You're a good match."

Eyes narrowed, teeth ready to be bared, Tommy shot Billy's notion down without wasting one breath on a word.

Deciding that the silent admonishment wasn't enough, he tried to think of a blistering denial of the presented theory.

"Not your kind of match. Like, bros match. He's a bit too nerdy and doesn't know when to shut up or back off, but like I said. We get along alright."

"Tommy, it's fine if you want to keep lying to him, but don't do it to my face. I know you have a fear of attachment, but I hardly think admitting you made a friend counts as a significant blow to your ego."

"Aren't you supposed to be too traumatized to play psychologist?"

Billy's words were reaching too far, brushing by something inside of Tommy that roused its defiant head and wanted to give the twin a piece of his mind. Wanted to confess to how much the experiences he'd made with Noh conditioned his feelings towards the man. How little Billy could understand, having never been in Tommy's place.

He didn't know how Noh looked when he was dying, or saving Tommy's life, or sharing his awful alien cuisine with the speedster. Billy never endured one of Noh's engineering sermons, was never forced to take piloting lessons from the Kree or hear him try his hand at a joke.

It was definitely time for this conversation to stop. Tommy failed to notice it already had. Billy must have replied to his jibe, but the speedster never heard him speak.

Instead, Billy watched him now, the dark amber of his eyes curious and surprised. Fuck. Was he still good at reading facial expressions? Was Tommy making one?

God he needed to take another breather. He couldn't remember it ever being so difficult to be around Billy. How the hell did Teddy put up with this every day?

"Shepherd Thomas. Commanding officer has made contact. He is returning in less than two hours. Mission successful, but extraction still perilous."

"It's about damn time. Tell me when he gets back so I can yell at him for making me sit around bored for so long."

"Acknowledged. Relaying message."

Plex hovered in the tank for a moment, filling the quiet room with his now more impressive appearance.

"Commanding officer Noh-Varr has a reply for you, Shepherd Thomas."

"Which is?"

"I promise to bring you back a chew toy, if you've been a good boy."

"That son of a fucking roach. Plex, one more message. Fuck. You."

"Acknowledged."

Billy couldn't contain his guffaws of laughter as soon as Plex rushed from the room.

"That was really heartfelt, Tommy."

"Oh shut up you and eat your damn banana bread."

It wasn't easy to spend a day waiting when you were used to taking matters into your own hand, but Tommy had a feeling that giving Billy just that, a day spent in peace, everyone would be better off.

Besides, it wasn't like he worried about Noh-Varr. No way, that space-roach could take care of himself. If he didn't, Tommy would grin, point and laugh at him to rub salt in the wound. And then maybe help him. So he wasn't going to waste a moment of Billy's prime Tommy time on the Kree.

Well...

Maybe a little, designated corner of his mind. Maybe he'd just keep an eye on Plex. Maybe glance at the readouts crawling along the screens and pretend his Kree was good enough to be reassured by them.

But that was it, damn it.

Much, much later...

"Plex, analyze this data. Top priority."

"Acknowledged. Welcome back, commanding officer Noh-Varr."

The Kree lifted his helmet as he stepped into the loading bay. There was no welcome party for him, but it hardly mattered. The mission ended in success, which ought to be reward enough for his efforts. The strange weight in his stomach lessened once he left Hala. It served him well to be among his people, to see Kree lives played out in harmony despite the shortcomings of his species in this reality. It was still soothing to have walked the streets of Hala, to see young Kree cadets and the bustling life of the sprawling city of Kree-Lar.

He may not be a part of the Empire anymore, but that didn't mean he didn't still feel connected to it. The Kree were capable without him and he was independent of them, yet they'd always be his people and his home. Their troubles were still his, even if he was no longer responsible for solving them. The Kree suffered blow after blow, slaughter by the armies of Annihilus, the devastating attack of the Phalanx, the subjugation of the weakened empire by Black Bolt and his family. Currently, Ronan the Accuser lead once more and more confusingly, the Supreme Intelligence had returned to life.

Noh-Varr was glad to have a mission that took priority and guided his steps. It would have been easy to sink into the Kree's problems, to let his inert loyalties take over. But with Tommy and Billy on his ship and Teddy in peril, Noh chose wisely, forbade himself to think of his people as long as the Young Avengers needed him focused.

"Plex, one last thing. Override the current command protocol. This is my ship. Address me as captain from now on."

"Acknowledged. Captain Noh-Varr. Commander Shepherd is on his way to the loading bay."

Oh boy. This was probably the only warning he'd get before Tommy appeared to exact his revenge for that chewtoy comment. Still, a little fight would definitely take his mind away from Hala.

Tommy appeared like a furious, human-shaped tornado. A blur of silver and Noh-Varr found himself on the receiving end of a devastating glare.

"You son of a bitch."

"It's good to see you too, Tommy."

There was some kind of storm that was raging inside the young human in front of him. Noh-Varr searched those sea-green eyes, but he didn't know what he was seeing. Tommy was good at keeping the core of himself under lock and key, a fortress even Noh didn't know how to access.

But right now, the door was flung open and the Kree couldn't find his way through the raging flood.

Too caught up in his own confusion, he was stupefied when Tommy punched him. It wasn't hard, not nearly as much strength as the speedster was capable of. It didn't even crack his nose, just left the Kree blinking in rapid succession.

"That. Is for making me worry and going by yourself you asshat roach."

Noh-Varr's tongue lagged, couldn't help form the words that would amount to a snippy reply to further rile Tommy's temper.

But it was entirely unnecessary for him to speak, because it was Tommy's turn and he was far from finished.

Noh's space suit was next under the assault as Tommy's fists clenched the lapels and pulled harshly to get the Kree's head tucked down.

Again, there was no time to question Tommy's actions because Noh-Varr was suddenly intensely aware of the soft, warm skin pressed to his mouth. Confusion drowned in astonishment. Was Tommy doing what Noh-Varr assumed he was? The pressure against his mouth was enticing, demanding and most definitely confirming his mild guess.

The Kree surrendered to the moment, realising this might be the only shot he had at this. Noh would be lying if the idea of kissing the speedster never occurred to him before this. He couldn't take his eyes off of Tommy's face as he returned the gesture, meshing his lips against the human's without another wasted second of thought.

It was odd, kissing Tommy. Warmth, life, a little saliva, a probing tongue and then, suddenly, teeth on his lower lip in a punishment of a bite.

And just like that, it was over.

"And that was for making it back in one piece. Now come on. Billy's practically glowing with impatience. He wants to get to the rescuing his damsel boyfriend in distress part."

Tommy was gone so quickly Noh-Varr didn't have time to catch a breath and speak one word or even ask a question.

His face must have been one giant question mark though, because after an awkward, charged ten seconds of silence, Tommy stuck his head back through the doorway and glowered at him.

"Come on man, don't act like I just took your virginity and get your roach ass into gear."


	11. Chapter 11

"This is it, isn't it?" Billy's voice was thin and reedy, barely a whisper above the ever-present hum of the machines all around them, the living organs of the ship currently their home.

Every second brought them closer to the final stop of this journey, the daring rescue of the skrull-Kree hybrid so dear to Billy's heart. Maybe that's why he looked so constipated right now. Tommy, for once, kept that thought to himself. He didn't want to try the whole empathy crap and put himself in Billy's shoes, but he couldn't help knowing that he would feel like hell too.

Billy had murder in his eyes ever since his spell showed him how poorly Teddy was doing and Tommy had the feeling that today, he was going to see his soul-twin at his very worst.

The third member of their little rescue party was arguably the coolest, most detached of them. Noh-Varr knew nothing of Teddy, he wasn't his brother, friend or lover. To him, this was just the mission objective. Perhaps he had some kind of issue with the commandos that had Teddy in their grasp, because Noh-Varr too had been so quiet and thoughtful. Okay, maybe in comparison to Tommy, most people looked quiet and contemplative, but after all these weeks in space spent with the cockroach, Tommy was just about a pro at reading his non-existing display of emotions.

Noh-Varr was tense, Billy itching for blood and somehow, Tommy ended up with the job of being the reasonable one. The universe was so unfair.

"I will explain the procedure one last time," Noh sighed and tapped on a monitor displaying the small moon they were approaching.

"As soon as we hit orbit, we will descend in the shuttle. To avoid detection, we need to land outside of the immediate area. You and Tommy will approach from here," a useful map now covered the screen, "and I will distract them over here. This road should pass through some very treacherous territory, which just beckons to be lined with explosives. If I can lose or separate them there, it should buy you plenty of time to overwhelm whoever was left to guard the prisoner. Then you grab your hybrid and teleport straight back to the ship. I'll take the shuttle and make sure no one follows us out of orbit."

Tommy let the plan wash over him, even though he knew every tiny detail off by heart, ever since they first came up with the concept for it. Yet, despite the soundness of their strategy, Billy didn't stop chewing on his cheek and looking worried. Tommy resisted the urge to snap, smack and demand what could possibly go wrong with this plan. He would take it as personal affront, even though Noh was the one who came up with it. But Tommy fucking helped, just to make it clear!

"You're putting yourself in a lot of danger for us, Noh-Varr, aren't you?"

The Kree spent half a minute blinking wordlessly at Billy, as if the question had come back out of a black hole just to mess with his head.

"Yes."

"Why?" Billy's gaze had taken on something else. Not fear, not desperation. It might have been determination, or just plain crazy. Tommy wasn't gonna explore either option right now, all of his senses were entirely devoted to Noh-Varr at the moment.

"I made a deal with Tommy. I am upholding my promise to him."

Okay, something must have turned the air-conditioning in this chamber off, because Tommy found it hard to breathe. Maybe it was just the incredibly awkward feeling he got from Billy's raised eyebrows and Noh-Varr's earnest stare.

"What? Something on my face? Can we get down to rescuing Teddy now? Am I the only one who wants this done or what?"

Billy nodded, Noh-Varr turned away to begin the ship's approach to the moon. This would be like all of their previous explorations, Tommy had no reason to be nervous and think that everything had gone too smoothly and someone was going to die here today...

"Just one more thing," Noh addressed them in a tone so serious Tommy's stomach turned.

"If I don't join you on the ship again...there's protocols in place. You will not wait for me, you will go home to Earth."

Billy merely nodded, biting his lip and restraining anything he might say, because Tommy would probably say plenty in the next moments. And he wasn't wrong.

"...Don't say noble bullshit like that, roach boy. You are coming home with us, and if I hear any of that sacrifice crap on the com, I swear I will make you...I will make you regret ever having met me, you'll hurt so bad even you will feel it. You're coming home with us...with me. We've done too much crazy shit together, you hear me?!"

Was he getting upset? Probably, yes. There was something in his voice that he couldn't keep from shaking, a traitorous little tremble that told tales Tommy wasn't ready to share with the world. And especially not with his twin and the cockroach.

Both of whom were now staring at him, expecting something more or already stunned by what he'd revealed.

"Understood."

And that was all Noh-Varr would say about the issue. Tommy thought he might just kiss his face again for that single word, the fast dismissal of Tommy's emotional outpour.

Noh-Varr gave them no more time for a last talk or some sort of sentimentalities, herding them into the shuttle for immediate departure.

Tommy helped Billy into a suit not unlike his own and marvelled silently at how quickly Noh-Varr had designed it overnight. Well, in those hours that he and Billy slept, there was no day or night in space, it was always bright inside and black outside. He kind of liked it that way. Now, not even time could regulate him, he was so free up here in the sky...

He was getting carried away. This was the last step, then they'd be back home on Earth. No more weird alien food except whatever was in New York hot dogs, no seeing any new worlds except on whatever bad sci-fi was running on reruns, no daily adventures beyond the ordinary villain-attack-of-the-day...

"Descending through the atmosphere now." Noh announced, voice clipped and sharp as Billy grabbed Tommy's arm.

"We can do this. We'll save Teddy and then we can finally go home."

"Yeah...yeah we can. Home."

Tommy was grateful for the shrill alarm as their arrival went very far from as planned. Their targets, the commandos that took Teddy, were apparently intelligent enough to monitor the orbit of their hideaway moon and the schooner had drawn some attention. So had the shuttle. The small vehicle was rattling dangerously and Noh-Varr looked increasingly unhappy.

Impacts rocked the ship and Tommy grasped at his twin.

"Noh, are we crashing?!"

"It's not that simple! Our Hammond side stabilizers are blown, there's fourteen different anti orbital strike weapon systems of Hynerian class locked onto our drive core and we-"

"We're crashing!"

The Kree looked incredibly undignified as he ground his teeth and stared hard out of the small 'windshield'.

"Yes, we're crashing. Brace yourselves for an emergency landing. This might be a rough ride."

"No, really?!"

The impact with the moon's surface wasn't nearly as terrible as Tommy imagined. During all of their trips in the shuttle, they'd only done one or two emergency landings, and they'd been a lot bumpier than the smooth slide Noh pulled the shuttle down in. Plus the lack of explosions was a nice bonus.

It did however end with a hefty bump that made the whole vessel groan and several hydraulics explode with wet pops. It didn't sound like something Noh could fix on the go.

Was this rescue mission over already?

"Everyone alright?"

"No thanks to your driving. Wasn't this supposed to be a stealthy entrance?"

"Your lack of appropriate gratitude aside, Tommy, yes it was. But clearly, our strategy needs to adapt to the aptitude of our opponents."

"Then adapt it already."

* The plan, as it turned out, needed a complete change of pace that only Tommy could provide. If he had the time, he would have admired the way Noh-Varr heaped responsibility on his shoulders without a moment's hesitation. It was difficult to imagine anyone else dismiss his supposedly irresponsible nature.

But he didn't have the time. With their foes knowing of their approach and probably counting on their survival, Teddy's life was at risk. It took all of Tommy's persuasive power to stop Billy from teleporting into what could be a trap.

Instead, they split up. Noh-Varr to draw the attention of his kinsmen, Billy and Tommy to undertake a supersonic search for Teddy. This sort of plan was turning into a pattern that kept Tommy away from immediate firefights and the speedster suspected Noh did that on purpose. Still, this was not the time to think of how little the Kree appreciated Tommy's ability to vaporize weapons, this was the time to find an overly affectionate Skrull hybrid who'd been parted from his slightly hysterical, reality-bending boyfriend for too long.

And even if he'd have to endure the gross affection between them every time he came over for free food again, Tommy was going to take the chance and help his brother return to the sappy, happy life he loved. Yeah, Tommy was kind of a great guy and a fantastic twin brother, anyone would have to bow to that after this. If they made it home at all.

Running, as always, helped his nerves to settle, it laid waste to his worries and most of all, put down the doubts that liked to tap dance in front of his eyes every time he closed his eyes.

Focus. Breathe. Run.

Billy wasn't right there with him, he followed at a minimal distance, wielding his magic more competently than ever before. It was definitely the fear for Teddy that lent him the strength to persevere, and Tommy promised silently to whatever deities deigned them worthy of luck anything they wanted, if his brother could just succeed in what he wanted so badly right now.

"Tommy, there's a bunker. It's west of here. I can't see inside, it has to be shielded."

"That's probably where they're keeping him. Alright, I'll scout, hang back until I give you an ok."

Billy frowned, but he froze in midair, first flashing bright blue, then disappearing from sight entirely. Wow, Tommy didn't even hear him chant this time.

Certain witch's prowess aside, Speed was on a mission. The bunker was well disguised, there wasn't even a noticeable mark in the stark moon landscape. But he could feel it. Vibrations in the ground, probably generated by the shield in place. Well. It was probably some high-tech alien gimmick designed to give rescuing heroes terrible headaches, but the Kree commandos never met Tommy Shepherd, or his ability to vibrate molecules through anything.

"Alright, Billy, come in, wait for me to get through then you follow when it's clear. I don't want you getting in the way if there's ass to kick."

"Don't patronize me, Tommy. I have a rather more personal reason to fight them."

"Exactly why you're sitting out. And don't argue with me, Noh put me in charge, I'm second in command and you're just gonna have to listen to the team sociopath, alright?"

Billy looked as if he was about to argue, his brow drawn in that awful way that made you feel sorry for him no matter how mad you might be.

"Tommy, I just need to tell you this. I'm sorry for calling you that. You're the sanest, most loyal and amazing brother I've ever had."

"We ain't got time for sap, Kaplan," Billy deflated further as he nodded, but Tommy wasn't finished speaking.

"You can tell me about how amazing I am when we're flying home."

"Deal."

"I'm going in."

*

It was definitely a kick from whatever that crappy deity he'd promised the world to earlier. There was no other way this could have gone so wrong in so short a space of time. Tommy wondered if he had a big exclamation mark over his head, one that beckoned for disaster to be his bedfellow.

And he also wondered when he'd ever used the term bedfellow before.

God, his mind was probably in some kind of shutdown from stress by now, it was doing that wandering thing again and he had to remind himself to reel it back for functionality.

So, the situation in itself was pretty bad. Billy had fallen into a trap on his way to teleport directly to Teddy. Just as Noh-Varr had told him not to try. The Kree was surrounded by his kinsmen, in some kind of standoff that didn't favour Noh-Varr's winning chances.

And Tommy? Tommy was currently testing his top speed against some mobile defence units, definitely of Kree origin and with an inbuilt sense of merciless destruction.

He'd taken two non-lethal shots, barely keeping them from striking holes into his body that would slow him down. He couldn't be slowed, his legs, his speed, they were his life.

So he ran harder as his mind reeled and flipped between the ridiculous and the desperate. He needed to solve this. His companions, his friends, they wouldn't be able to turn this around. It was down to him. And that wasn't the part that freaked him out, but the thought that if someone ended up dead here today, it was his fault.

What the hell was he supposed to do? There was no fucking manual for this in the universe.

Breathe. Calm down. Run. Think.

Noh-Varr would know what to do. Noh-Varr would know how to fix this, Noh-Varr could make a plan out of any situation, no matter how dire. Noh-Varr wasn't here. God damn it, why wasn't he here? Why did they have to split up again? It didn't go great last time and this was no different. Stupid plan. Stupid Kree. Stupid...wait. The com system!

"Noh! Noh-Varr, roach boy, can you hear me? I got some kind of fast Kree robots after me and they're shooting lasers!"

The com was silent for a breath, then Noh-Varr's voice, strained, thick with concentration and possibly exhaustion, came through.

"Lasers huh? Well, can you outrun them?"

"If I could I wouldn't be asking for your advice genius."

"Fine. You need to find something to shield you from two blasts. Are there any walls, rocks, anything that will protect you, even for a moment? If so, you have exactly 0.21 seconds to attack after a laser discharge."

Tommy didn't have time to answer. The only thing he could make out in the near surrounding was the husk of their crashed shuttle. He'd run this far already? Shit, he hoped Billy could deal with whatever was going down in the base by himself.

"I got something. I hope you don't need that shuttle anymore."

"Tommy, wait-"

The lasers struck ugly holes into the soft bronze of the hull, but the shuttle's corpse did its job and Tommy needed nothing more than to turn the two persistent robots or AI's to little more than metal dust.

He'd made it unscathed, mostly. Time to head back and see if Billy-

The spell's blast bloomed up into the moon's atmosphere like an ice flower, savage blue and so vivid it burned a picture behind eyelids.

"I think Billy just found Teddy."

Over the com system, Noh-Varr heaved a sigh. The background gunfire had died down and Tommy heard only the telltale silence of victory.

"Good. Looks like this rescue mission is finally over."

Tommy was moving back towards the facility, nothing faster than a jog that would make a race car jealous.

"How are we getting off of this rock, roach boy?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm calling our ride."

Just as Tommy was close enough to recognize the fallen guards littering the facility, something moved through the trailing wisps of Billy's magic, remnants of something potent enough to have destroyed a small world by the intense smell of ozone.

The Marvel landed silently, a distinct, soft bronze figure of grace and oddly enough, the sight of her filled Tommy with the warm sensation of home. Maybe he'd been gone from Earth too long, he was probably going space-crazy. But insane or not, they'd done it. It was over.

* 

The anticipation was more of a pleasant miasma as all four of them clustered around the screen. Noh-Varr sneered for just a second at the proximity, but it was largely ignored. Kree personal bubbles were hardly an issue in anyone's mind at the moment.

Slowly, the connection across several galaxies`established. But it wasn't Kate's glorious mug appearing on the monitor. Instead, the four young men were confronted with a pair of boots resting on a table, an unruly head of wiry curls and a set of to-die-for lips twisted into one of the most unfriendly snarls imaginable.

"The hell are you?!"

Tommy snapped first, despite his usual behaviour towards anything female on two legs.

"Name's America Chavez. You call me Miss, chico. You Kate's bunch of boys lost in space?"

Noh-Varr bristled in his seat, Tommy could feel the offence taken through the backrest he'd clenched in his own fist. At least their teamwork hadn't ended the moment they re-boarded the ship.

"We are not lost. We're on a mission. A successful mission, in fact."

"Really." The girl, no, Miss America, didn't seem any kind of impressed. She chewed (gum, most likely, though in her case tobacco wouldn't be an outlandish idea) and slowly blew a bubble.

Awkward silence spread through the ship, four pairs of eyes waiting for America to make a move. She stared them down with all the patience of an old west sheriff.

"Are you gonna get off of your ass and call Kate or just stare at us all day?"

Miss America gave them another look to wither spirits and balls, then finally dragged her feet off of the desk and turned her back to the screen.

"Miss star-spangled attitude, more like." Billy muttered, s till in a sort of protected position behind Noh's seat.

"Kate! Your space canallas want to talk to you."

"I'm busy! Prodigy, you're up!"

Another face that wasn't Kate's popped into view. This time male, darker, and certainly more friendly, even if he too looked exasperated.

"You're late. I'm Prodigy, call me David. Kate put me in charge of structuring your return entry strategy, so let's get to the point."

"Return strategy?" Teddy took to speaking first, being the one most out of the loop.

"Yeeeah. We kinda left in a mess. You know, Avengers and their stupid attitude to doing actual hero work." Tommy scratched his head, casually inspecting the curve of Noh-Varr's neck. There was just something about the Kree recently that had him re-evaluate his stance on his own sexuality. Damn roach. Tommy was pretty sure that he now took to 'whatever I want in bed' from 'whatever ass and tits fell into my arms that night'.

And Noh was hitting the meter repeatedly in the last hours. Stupid Kree with his stupidly tight clothing and curving neck that could probably be wrapped with iron and still hold his head up high.

David was talking, Billy was answering, and Tommy didn't hear one word. The call ended without Kate ever showing her face, but obviously, the current 'crew' of the Marvel got what they wanted and dispersed.

"Tommy, are you feeling alright? You haven't complained about anything at all in the last five minutes. Don't tell me you grew up whilst we were...away?"

Teddy's voice still sounded a bit shaken, which wasn't anything unexpected after his ordeal, but at least he was smiling that dorky smile of his.

"Yeah right. Come on, man, don't put that on me. I'm going to my bunk."

"Uhm.." Billy raised a hand and a shy smile. He didn't even need to formulate his point for Tommy to understand. Not that understanding meant agreement.

"Oh come on. The fact that there aren't more crew cabins on this boat aside, does it have to be in the bed I sleep in?"

"You can sleep in mine."

Noh-Varr's voice got stupid over the last weeks too, with the way it crawled under Tommy's skin and stroked over his nerve endings like some art-porn love affair.

"Let's just get back to Earth so I never have to think about dignifying that with a response."


	12. Chapter 12

"You know, when David told us your contingency plan, I wasn't really expecting a party."

Billy gestured to the gathering of oddly dressed bodies all around the room, chatting amiably in groups as some generally approved music took care of the atmosphere. There were a few faces here that had made the mage's jaw drop, but of course, after the whole being-in-space-on-a-mission, he had a reputation to uphold. At least as far as not having a minor breakdown in the middle of the room over the assembled guests. He didn't even know how Kate did it, how she got into contact with so many superheroes that fell just short of the 'adult' mark. Everyone they'd ever had contact with that was worth remembering had shown up.

"It wasn't all a party. And this isn't just because I'm happy you guys made it back in one piece. Everyone here...they helped, Billy," Kate took another sip from her cup, something akin to pride settling on her face. It bathed in her some kind of radiance that Billy found quite stunning.

"Everyone here?"

"Yeah. How else did you think we were going to keep the Avengers from high-tailing it after you like good grown-ups do with their unruly children?"

"...Kate, I don't know whether I am impressed or frightened by your aptitude."

"I will take both as a compliment, Billy. And really...it wasn't nothing, but I would do it again anytime. You and Teddy...you're more than my friends."

"You're family."

Billy blinked, now quite sure he was drinking something spiked or at least hallucinating, because there was no way he would be seeing Eli here, mixed in among a plethora of teenage superheroes.

"E-Eli? You..you were part of this too?"

The former member of their team nodded solemnly before embracing the stunned mage.

"How could I not? Just because I'm not in costume anymore doesn't mean I stopped caring."

"Eli!"

Teddy's addition to the hug ended with a squished Billy, a slightly embarrassed Eli and a smiling Kate. This was almost like old times.

"I was going to congratulate Tommy on actually doing something right for once, but...can't seem to find him." Eli let his eyes sweep the room one more time, but it was just as unsuccessful as the last three attempts.

Billy looked to his boyfriend, then their two friends.

"I...think he's doing some congratulating himself."

Eli's raised eyebrows got a chuckle out of Kate, who let a casual arm fall over his shoulders.

"I'm catching the drift. I knew he and the spaceman would be a pretty good team."

"Do I even want to know?"

"No, Eli, sweetie, you really don't. You're too innocent for such knowledge. Have you met my Miss America yet? No? Well, let's go."

*

“Don’t stop.”

The speedster obliged the breathless Kree's plea, tangling his hands at last in hair as white as his own as he marked the other side of Noh’s neck. Their bodies sank down into the mattress, a small game of wrestling taking place, though when it came to who could squeeze hardest, Noh was a guaranteed winner.

At some point Tommy settled fully on his back, spread thighs an invite, his arms loose and hanging high up above his head. He knew he was offering a very graphic view of himself, but god damn it, he wanted to be pampered and worshipped, because he deserved it.

“You could just look at it,” he panted, not sure when he felt so flushed, “or do something with it.”

The Kree above him moved with predatory ease, Noh’s eyes feasted on the sight before him, unable to get his fill of such a marvel to behold. Good. Because the few lucky souls that had enjoyed this Tommy Shepherd experience would have killed for this view and chance. Actually, and the Kree would never hear this, he was about to become Tommy's first foray into sleeping with men. So far, so good.

A brief look passed between Tommy and Noh as the Kree settled between his thighs, something unspoken, a question that had been asked the moment Tommy found the alien aboard his ship, tinkering with some machine. Or perhaps, it had been asked the moment their lips touched in a somehow desperate kiss.

On an exhale, Tommy opened his eyes and peered up as Noh set in as deeply as he could. It seemed like forever he stared up into bright eyes before his hands smoothed over Noh’s shoulders, down his back, tugging him closer as a gasp leapt off of his lips. Tommy could later mull over how an inexperienced (he assumed), rigid (he accused) mass of muscle could have him tilting his head back and moaning, or how each thrust struck close to something that tingled the length of his spine and had him gasp again. This was a dance even Noh could follow, and eventually lead as Tommy followed the thrusts rather than instigated them. His nails came to life, scratching shapes down the Kree’s beautiful back, his thighs clamping hard against Noh’s hips. Between the shudders dancing up and down his body and the bursts of something pinwheeling on the edge of pleasure and pain, Tommy had time to look at his partner, his friend, the one man he'd been pretty sure he hated, only to find that to be so far from the truth it was waving from the other side.

There was something unreadable in those pools of azure. They’d lost their icy edge and focus, of that there was no doubt. But something else made them their home besides Tommy’s reflection. Was it admiration? Wonder? Or just simple appreciation for a well-deserved cause?

He hovered so closely to Tommy’s mouth now, he could drink his breath and taste his moans.

Tommy shared the same breath with how close Noh’s mouth hovered.

“Noh,” he breathed, seeing himself in the other’s eyes. He’d never done this either, delve into another’s eyes like this when his remained so open, shields peeling off by layers. This was weird. But good weird, like trying a new pizza topping that sounds gross on the menu and awesome in his mouth. Or a new type of music that at first, made your ears bleed, and then you dance like a crazy person to it anyway. Or a-!

It tore through him, his back bowing and welcoming the long deserved orgasm, long overdue and unexpected. If his breath came mangled, cry or curse choked, he had no scathing retorting answer to that right now.

Fortunately for Tommy, the momentum of his orgasm took Noh right along with it, propelling him towards an edge he’d never truly even taken notice of before. Where Tommy cried out, Noh-Varr suffocated in silence, his mouth finding Tommy’s collarbone and bruising it with a hard bite as his fingers crushed the sheets and mattress between them.

Hours (minutes) passed with Tommy’s grip lazy on Noh’s back. He remained with his legs spread, too tired (unwilling) to lose the contact to the Kree. Parts of his body, bruised bits, tingled and coaxed Tommy out of the orgasmic daze.

He blinked then sighed heavily. That was it. They had sex. Nothing more would come between them. Was that how it should have gone? Were they always headed this way, the moment they met? Why was he trying to think like Billy right now? Oh god, Billy couldn't find out about this.

Sluggish dilemmas crawled through Tommy's head as he laid there, finding bliss in something as simple as resting in the crook of Noh-Varr's arm, cushioning his head on the Kree's chest.

Noh-Varr murmured something unintelligible and pressed a kiss to Tommy's sweaty hair. It was the best sort of lullaby the speedster ever had. Or maybe he was just so fucked (literally) that falling asleep on a muscular alien chest seemed like the best idea in the world. No, in the universe.

What seemed like hours and turned out to be minutes later, Noh-Varr woke to reality once more. Actually, it was turning out rather pleasantly, what with Tommy's ambush on him, the sex, the unspoken agreement between them that something had changed between the speedster and the Kree. Now if he could define exactly what the young man meant...

"Hey, mister spaceman,"

Noh-Varr glanced over his bare shoulder, not expecting his human company to be up and out of bed already.

It was just another one of those things the roach was going to have to get used to with Tommy around. And Tommy really meant that, the sticking around part. It wasn't a decision he remembered making, but it must have happened somewhere between noticing Noh's absence from the party, tasting the Kree's mouth and rolling around the sheets with him.

It felt good though. To walk bare-assed through a space ship as familiar as any home he'd ever had. Actually, this might be his favourite so far.

"You're up earlier than I expected. I'm just locking the course into the...you probably don't care, do you?"

"You could have stayed in bed."

"I didn't think you'd be a cuddler."

"Did Kate teach you that? Well prepare to be re-educated."

Tommy managed to hold a conversation and twist his way around to the front of Noh-Varr's seat, successfully tugging the chair back and wedging his way onto the Kree's lap. Yeah he was naked and probably still sweaty, but hell if he cared. Noh certainly didn't seem to mind, but who would with these few pounds of gorgeous speedster made readily available and poised in his lap? "Are we going for a ride?"

"Didn't you just have one?"

That smirk on Noh-Varr's face no longer ached for Tommy's fist. Well, he still wanted to punch it somehow, but more...with his mouth. That sort of counted as aggression, right? Even if he involved a little tongue to lap up the taste of Noh's lips. Because let's face it, no matter how irritating he could be, Noh-Varr was addictive. He tasted...no, he felt like adventure and danger, but also trust and comfort, someone who'd bump his shoulder and silently remind him they were in this together when the world went to shit.

Noh-Varr was his now. He'd sealed the deal long ago, but only now did he have Noh's signature. Right there in that smirk and the smile that lay in waiting behind it.

"Smartass. Not that kind of ride. I mean out there," Tommy gesticulated to the black display which would soon be painted with stars once more.

"You want me to show you the stars?"

"I've seen the stars. Show me the universe. Show me a parallel universe. Take me to the edge of space. Are you catching my drift or do I have to get painfully more obvious?"

Noh-Varr didn't rise to the bait for yet another bickering session. But his arms did rise to lock themselves around Tommy's waist, as if he needed to hold him steady, feel his solid mass pressed to his body.

"You're a terrible co-pilot though."

"Shut up space-roach. You've never had a better copilot than me."

There was a moment right there, a moment where he could feel Noh's eyes sink through him, as if they sliced right down to the little cavern Tommy kept his withered soul in. He stared it right in the face, judged, seized, and locked it in with his own.

"That is true."

"Then kick your bucket of rust into gear and take me for a ride, Noh-Varr."

"Nothing would please me more. Except what you did with your mouth back in-"

"Less gross stuff, more spaceship driving!"

The Marvel lifted from Earth silently this time, tearing no new holes into her surface, sneaking into orbit like a nightly lover escaping the wrath of the angry maiden's father.

Searing blue spurned the air as she burned up through the atmosphere, broke free into the endless black of space. No longer was it to be a solemn, bleak road, but a path lined with stars and adventure, hundreds of worlds to visit, a thousand stories to be unravelled. And Tommy would see it all, with Noh-Varr at his side. Nothing could stop them, though if something or someone tried, the two of them would kick adversity in the ass and flip it off with a grin.

Yeah. This was gonna be fucking great.


End file.
